Pentagon preparing plan to send Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine

Washington — Pentagon officials are in the final stages of preparing a plan to send a Patriot air defense missile system to Ukraine to counter Russian aerial assaults, U.S. officials told CBS News.  

The plan has not yet been approved by either the Pentagon or the White House, but that could come as early as this week. CNN was the first to report on plans to send a Patriot system to Ukraine. 

The U.S. "is poised to" provide at least one Patriot missile battery to Ukraine once the plan is approved, according to one of the officials.