Israel denies sending Patriot systems to Ukraine
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has reportedly denied that the nation supplied Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems, contradicting comments made by the country's envoy to Kiev.
Ambassador Michael Brodsky told Ukrainian media in an interview on Sunday that US-produced Patriot systems formerly deployed in Israel were now being used by Kiev's military. He expressed disappointment that the development 'hasn't been widely discussed.'
However, a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday refuted the claim, according to Israeli and Russian news outlets.
'Israel did not transfer Patriot systems to Ukraine,' the ministry was quoted as saying.
Brodsky called the Patriots in question older models, initially deployed in the 1990s. The Israel Defense Forces decommissioned such 'obsolete' systems last year and replaced them with newer, domestically manufactured platforms. Reports suggest the IDF was dissatisfied with the Patriot's performance during the 2014 Gaza conflict.
The ambassador's remarks were consistent with a May report by the New York Times that indicated the US was refurbishing an Israeli Patriot battery for eventual transfer to Ukraine. That agreement, sources told the newspaper, was finalized last September as part of President Joe Biden administration's broader effort to arm Ukraine. The handover was expected this summer.
In a separate report published in January, Axios claimed that dozens of Patriot interceptors were being sent from Israel to Ukraine through Poland. Israeli officials told the outlet that the munitions were being returned to the US, not directly provided to Kiev, Ukraine has been urging for more supplies to tackle a growing shortage of the projectiles.
Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky claimed in 2024 that Israel 'made a mistake' by not sending weapons to Kiev as he had requested. West Jerusalem has been seen as taking a cautious approach on the issue in order to preserve its relationship with Moscow.
In 2023, Israeli media reported that the government could supply Ukraine with electronic warfare systems designed to counter drone threats. In January, Ukrainian officials asked Israel to donate small arms captured from Hezbollah, which Israel claimed had originated in Russia.
Moscow has accused Ukraine's weapons donors of fueling an international arms black market. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that weapons siphoned from Ukraine represent a global security threat – including to Israel.
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