Patriot missiles: What are they and why does Ukraine want them so badly?

President Trump has said that he is going to send more Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles to Ukraine. 

So, what are they and why does Ukraine want them so badly? 

The PAC-3 isn't a general air defence missile. It is a ballistic and hypersonic missile interceptor, which can defeat the fastest weapons Russia can launch. 

• Foreign volunteers who fought for Ukraine being courted by Latin American drug cartels
• UK sends Cutlass-class patrol boat to help French intercept Russian shadow fleet tanker
• Tempest: The secretive missile system said to have downed more than 20 Shaheds

Unlike all the PAC-2 Patriot missiles, the PAC-3 is smaller, which means 12 of the newest Mk variants can be fitted into a single launcher. 

This massively increases the number of shots available during a Russian air attack.

In our video above, BFBS Forces News' Simon Newton explains the PAC-3 missile and its importance in defending Ukraine from the Kremlin's drone and missile attacks.