The United States has transferred around 90 Patriot air defense interceptors from storage in Israel to Poland for delivery to Ukraine, sources familiar with the operation told Axios.
The transfer comes as part of efforts by the Pentagon to bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities against Russian attacks on critical infrastructure. This marks the most significant delivery of weapons involving Israel to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion nearly three years ago.
The Patriot air defense system was officially decommissioned by the Israeli Air Force in April 2023, over three decades after it was first provided to Israel during the Gulf War. With Israel now relying on its own advanced air defense technologies, such as the Iron Dome, the Patriot system had been relegated to training or storage.
Following its retirement, Ukrainian officials approached both the U.S. and Israel with a proposal to return the missiles to the U.S. for refurbishment and subsequent delivery to Ukraine, Axios reports.
Despite the plan, Israel initially delayed its decision due to concerns that Russia might retaliate by supplying advanced weaponry to Iran. According to a Ukrainian official, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to engage in discussions about the proposal for weeks. However, Netanyahu reportedly approved the transfer in late September.
The Ukrainian official alleged that Netanyahu sought a concession from President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding an annual pilgrimage of ultra-Orthodox Israelis to Uman, Ukraine, before agreeing to the Patriot deal. Netanyahu’s office has denied any connection between the two issues.
In preparation for the transfer, U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo planes recently transported the interceptors from an air base in southern Israel to Rzeszów, Poland, a key logistics hub for military aid to Ukraine. Along with the interceptors, additional equipment, such as radars, will be sent to the U.S. for refurbishment before final delivery to Ukraine. The interceptors are compatible with the Patriot batteries already operational in Ukraine.
An Israeli official said that Russia was informed in advance of the transfer, emphasizing that Israel was merely returning the Patriots to the U.S. rather than directly supplying weapons to Ukraine. The official compared the move to a prior U.S. decision to transfer artillery shells from storage in Israel to Ukraine. A spokesperson for Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Patriot system had been returned to the U.S. but said they had no knowledge of whether the interceptors had been sent to Ukraine.
Boldizsar Gyori
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