Israel Quietly Supplied Patriots to Ukraine, Envoy Reveals

Israel has supplied Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems, Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky has said.

In an interview published on the Ulizhku YouTube channel June 8, Brodsky recalled that Patriot systems, supplied by the US, were key to protecting Israel during the early 1990s, when Iraq targeted Israeli cities with missile strikes.

Speaking in Ukrainian Brodsky said, “These systems are now in Ukraine. These are Israeli Patriots that were in service in the early 1990s. We agreed to transfer them to Ukraine.”

“Unfortunately, not much was said about this... when people claim that Israel didn’t provide military aid, that’s simply not true,” he added.

The ambassador did not specify how many systems were transferred or when delivery took place. Although last year, media reports suggested that Ukraine, the US, and Israel were discussing the possible transfer of up to eight systems but there was no official confirmation at the time.

The New York Times reported on May 4 that an Israel-based Patriot system was expected to be transferred to Ukraine pending Washington’s approval, citing US and Israeli officials.

At the time, the US Department of Defense declined to comment on the reported Israeli transfer.

According to the NYT report, Ukraine had eight Patriot systems in May, but suggested only six were operational as two were undergoing routine maintenance or repair.

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“If Israel and another country – possibly Germany or Greece – each supply an additional system, Ukraine’s total could soon rise to 10,” the report said.

Under US export laws, even third-party transfers of Patriot systems must be approved by Washington. Two US officials told the NYT that the Israeli unit being prepared for Ukraine was an older version and could arrive this summer.

A new Patriot system costs at least $1 billion and requires around 90 trained personnel to operate. The first US Patriot deliveries arrived in Ukraine in April 2023, but by early 2024, Ukraine was already experiencing missile shortages, the report said.

When asked about President Volodymyr Zelensky’s latest request for more Patriots, US President Donald Trump commented that the Ukrainian leader is “always looking to purchase missiles.”