Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelensky has claimed that an Israeli-supplied Patriot missile defense system is now operational in his country.
This marks the first time Kiev has acknowledged deployment of this type of weapon.
According to Zelensky, Kiev received one US-made missile defense system from Israel a month ago and is expects two more this fall.
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RT reports: The issue of transferring US-made Patriot batteries to Ukraine had surfaced earlier this year when Israeli Ambassador Michael Brodsky suggested that Patriot units previously stationed in Israel were being used by Ukrainian forces. The Israeli Foreign Ministry, however, quickly dismissed the statement, denying any such transfer had taken place.
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“An Israeli complex is operating in Ukraine. A month. It has been working for a month,” Zelensky said. “We are getting two more Patriot systems in the fall. That’s it. I won’t talk about Patriot anymore.”
Earlier this year, West Jerusalem announced plans to decommission eight Patriot systems that had been in service for over 30 years, replacing them with more advanced air defense solutions. The Financial Times reported citing sources familiar with the matter that Israel was open to transferring the retired units to Ukraine.
Earlier this month, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that Berlin had delivered the first launchers of two Patriot units to Kiev. At the time, Pistorius stated that Ukraine would need at least five such systems to protect its airspace.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned Western arms shipments to Kiev, saying they only serve to prolong the hostilities. Russian officials have also accused Ukraine’s supporters of enabling the growth of an international black market in advanced weapons. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that arms diverted from Ukraine could become a global security risk, including for Israel. Shortly after escalation of the conflict in February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would “snap” the Patriot systems delivered to Ukraine.
