Allies pledge additional air-defense batteries ahead of expected winter campaign

A group of European governments pledged four additional air-defense batteries and several hundred interceptors on Thursday, the largest single commitment since the spring.

Ukrainian officials welcomed the announcement while noting that previous pledges had taken months to arrive. “We count batteries when they are switched on,” one official said.

The package also includes financing for spare parts and training, which analysts say has become the binding constraint as the number of systems in service has grown.