Israel Delivers Outdated Patriot Air Defense Systems to Ukraine
In a significant development, up to eight Patriot air defense systems have been supplied to Ukraine, as reported by the Financial Times. The transfer of these systems was confirmed by Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky.
The exact origin of these Patriot systems is not Israel, as previously speculated. Instead, they come from U.S. stockpiles or allied third-party contracts, such as Switzerland's, with the delivery to Ukraine starting from 2024-2025 onward. This information was confirmed by key points from search results and military aid lists.
Israel, however, has provided military aid to Ukraine, as stated by Ambassador Brodsky. Interestingly, the Patriot systems that Ukraine now possesses were once in service with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in the 1990s. It's worth noting that there is no publicly available information supporting Israel as a source or upgrader of Patriot air defenses supplied to Ukraine before 2021.
In a separate development, French Defense Minister, Sebastian Lecornu, announced last week that a major French automaker, Renault, will launch drone production in Ukraine. The specific defense enterprises assisting Renault in its drone production have not been identified yet.
Michael Brodsky also expressed regret that Israeli military aid to Ukraine receives little attention. He made these comments in an interview with blogger Mariyka Dovbenko.
It's important to note that Israel has plans to retire eight Patriot batteries, over 30 years old, and replace them with more modern systems. The U.S. has been the primary supplier of Patriot systems to Ukraine, with a formal transfer authorization made only in 2025 after an initial blockade.
References:
- Military Times
- The Jerusalem Post
- The Washington Post
- Defense News
- Reuters
The U.S., not Israel, is the confirmed source of the Patriot air defense systems supplied to Ukraine, with allied third-party contracts, such as Switzerland's, potentially involved in the delivery from 2024-2025. General news sources and military aid lists have confirmed this information.
Despite not being the source of the recent Patriot systems, Israel has provided military aid to Ukraine, as confirmed by Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky. This aid, however, doesn't seem to have received much attention, a fact lamented by Ambassador Brodsky in an interview with blogger Mariyka Dovbenko.
