Ukraine Confirms Deployment of Israeli Patriot

(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has officially stated that a Patriot missile defense system, supplied by Israel, is now operational within Ukrainian territory.

This revelation marks the initial public recognition by Kiev of this type of advanced military equipment being deployed in the ongoing conflict.

Discussions around the potential transfer of U.S.-developed Patriot systems to Ukraine initially emerged earlier in the year.

At that time, Israeli Ambassador Michael Brodsky implied that Ukraine might be utilizing Patriot batteries that were formerly stationed in Israel.

Nevertheless, the Israeli Foreign Ministry swiftly rejected these claims, firmly denying any handover had occurred.

Zelensky recently clarified the situation by confirming, “An Israeli complex is operating in Ukraine. A month. It has been working for a month,” and further noted, “We are getting two more Patriot systems in the fall. That’s it. I won’t talk about Patriot anymore.”

His remarks confirm the deployment while also signaling an end to public discussion on the matter.

Earlier this year, West Jerusalem had disclosed its intention to retire eight Patriot systems that had been operational for over three decades, opting instead for newer and more sophisticated air defense technologies.

According to a news agency, citing unnamed insiders, Israel had expressed willingness to pass these decommissioned units on to Ukraine.

Additionally, earlier this month, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius revealed that the first components of two Patriot batteries had been delivered to Kiev by Berlin.

At that time, Pistorius emphasized that Ukraine would require a minimum of five such systems to adequately safeguard its skies.

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