KYIV, April 19 (ABC News) - American-made Patriot missiles have arrived in Ukraine, the country's defence minister has said, providing Kyiv with a long-sought new shield in its ongoing war with Russia.

The US agreed in October to send the surface-to-air systems, which can target aircraft, cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic missiles such as those that Russia has used to bombard residential areas and the Ukrainian power grid.

"Today, our beautiful Ukrainian sky becomes more secure," Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in a tweet.

The missiles are the latest contribution from Western allies, who have also pledged tanks, artillery and some types of fighter jets as Ukraine gears up for an expected counteroffensive.

Mr Reznikov thanked the United States, Germany and the Netherlands, without saying how many missile systems had been delivered or when they arrived.

Ukrainian air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said late Tuesday that delivery of the systems would be a landmark event, allowing Ukrainians to knock out Russian targets at a greater distance.

Germany's federal government website on Tuesday listed a Patriot system as among the military items delivered within the past week to Ukraine.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock confirmed that on Wednesday in Berlin.

Germany has also delivered the second of four medium-range IRIS-T air defence systems that it pledged last year, Ms Baerbock said.