Ukraine is in talks with US, Israel to receive up to 8 Patriot systems

The Financial Times reports.

According to the publication's sources, the agreement on the transfer of Patriot to Kyiv was negotiated at the level of ministers and high-ranking officials of the three countries. In particular, negotiations were conducted by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. At the same time, direct talks were held between Kyiv and Israel.

It was noted that Ukraine is likely to receive up to 8 Patriot batteries, which are more than 30 years old. Israel announced their decommissioning in April. These M901 PAC-2s are older than the PAC-3s in service in Ukraine.

According to Financial Times analysts, PAC-2 is fully compatible with PAC-3. At the same time, they emphasize: Israel has sufficient stocks of interceptor missiles for systems with a longer range and warhead.

"This could make them well suited to intercept Russian fighter jets dropping destructive guided bombs on Ukrainian cities and military positions from behind the front line," the journalists note.

Earlier, Jerusalem rejected Kyiv's requests for military assistance because of the Kremlin's influence in Syria, where the Israeli Air Force often operates against forces linked to Iran.

• On June 12, US President Joe Biden approved the deployment of another Patriot missile system in Ukraine.