The United States has transferred some 90 Patriot interceptor missiles, previously stored in Israel, to Ukraine. The ammunition has already been delivered to Poland, where it will be handed over to the Ukrainian armed forces.
This was reported by the Axios and CNN citing US government sources.
This is the largest arms shipment from Israel to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. Discussions about the transfer of missiles have been ongoing since the summer of 2023, and it was only in September that the Israeli government agreed to the move.
Israel had operated Patriot systems for more than 30 years, but abandoned them last year to focus on developing its own air defenses. Ukraine has appealed to the United States and Israel to return the missiles to Kyiv for further repair and transfer.
According to Axios, the Israeli government's official line is that it simply "returned the Patriot to the United States," but military sources confirm that the missiles are already on their way to Ukraine. Additional equipment, including radars, will first be sent to the United States for modernization.
This shipment should significantly strengthen Ukraine's air defenses, which are critical in the face of massive Russian attacks.
Author: Danylo Pievchev