Israel denies claim of transferring Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine
Israel denies claim of transferring Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied claims of a purported transfer of Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, the Israeli outlet Ynet reports.
The ministry stated that Jerusalem had not made any such decisions.
"This is not true. Israel has not transferred Patriot systems to Ukraine," the Foreign Ministry emphasized.
Thus, the Foreign Ministry has officially refuted the remarks of Israel's ambassador to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky, who in an interview claimed that Patriots had been transferred to Kyiv.
According to Ynet, following these statements, Russia demanded official explanations from Israel regarding the diplomat's comments.
Patriot SAM
The Patriot surface-to-air missile system (SAM) Patriot is an American medium- to long-range air defense system developed by Raytheon.
It is designed to intercept aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, and features a phased-array radar along with high-precision interceptor missiles.
Background
Despite pressure from its allies, Israel has avoided direct military aid to Ukraine, fearing an escalation in relations with Russia.
Earlier, we reported that Israel's ambassador to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky, claimed in an interview that Patriot air defense systems would be transferred.
He noted that, in the early 1990s, the Patriot system saved Israel during the First Gulf War, when Iraq launched missile strikes on Israeli territory.
Most recently, The New York Times reported that Ukraine is set to receive two additional Patriot air defense systems this summer.
