Ukraine receives Patriot air defence system from Israel, two more on the way
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A Patriot air defence missile system at an undisclosed location in Ukraine in 2024.
REUTERS FILE PHOTO
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- Ukraine received an Israeli-provided US Patriot air defence system a month ago, with two more expected this fall, according to President Zelensky.
- Kyiv is seeking more weapons, including long-range missiles, and has given the US a US$90 billion arms purchase list for consideration via unspecified programmes.
- Despite previous neutrality, Israel provided the Patriot system due to cooling relations with Russia over its ties with Iran and criticisms of the Gaza war.
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KYIV - Ukraine received a US-made Patriot air defence system from Israel a month ago, with two more expected in the coming months, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept 27.
Kyiv is scrambling to beef up its air defences to repel daily Russian barrages of drones and missiles, especially ahead of winter, with heating infrastructure a frequent target of the attacks.
“The Israeli (Patriot) system is operating in Ukraine. It has been operating for a month. We will receive two Patriot systems in the fall,” Mr Zelensky told journalists during a briefing.
Mr Zelensky spoke following his return from New York, where he addressed the United Nations General Assembly
After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Israel adopted a neutral position by not sanctioning Russia, unlike the Western allies.
But its ties with Moscow cooled as Russia drifted closer to Iran, which the West says supplies drones that attack Ukraine, and as the Kremlin condemned Israel’s war in Gaza.
Mr Zelensky said that in September-October, US and Ukrainian delegations will be holding several meetings on weapons purchases through “various programmes”, without specifying the source of financing.
Mr Zelensky said that Kyiv provided Washington with a list of the weapons Ukraine wanted as part of a plan to purchase US$90 billion (S$116 billion) worth of arms from Washington, which he first mentioned in August.
When asked to comment on media reports on Ukraine’s alleged request of US long-range Tomahawk missiles, Mr Zelensky said Kyiv was “ready for separate agreements on specific types of weapons, including long-range weapons.”
He declined to provide more details, saying this was “a very sensitive issue.”
Mr Zelensky also said Ukraine and the US now have “a mutual understanding of what is really happening on the battlefield and what progress can be made,” adding that his meeting with Mr Trump was “very good.” AFP
