Ambassador: Israel supplies Ukraine with Patriot air defence systems

Israel has provided Ukraine with Patriot air defence systems to help protect its skies from Russian missile attacks.

Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine, Mikhail Brodsky, confirmed the transfer in an interview with Ukrainian media, Caliber.Az reports. 

He said the systems were originally used by Israel in the early 1990s during the First Gulf War, when they helped defend against Iraqi missile strikes. At that time, the United States supplied these systems to Israel.

“These Patriot systems are now in Ukraine,” Brodsky said.

“They were part of Israel’s arsenal in the early 1990s, and we agreed to send them to Ukraine. This support hasn’t been widely discussed, but it shows that Israel has contributed militarily.”

In May 2024, it was reported that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) planned to phase out their US-made Patriot air defence systems, replacing them with more advanced technology.

Ukraine has repeatedly requested Patriot systems from its allies to defend against large-scale Russian missile strikes. These systems have proved particularly effective in intercepting Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.

Notably, in May 2023, a Patriot system successfully intercepted the first Kinzhal missile over Kyiv, marking a significant moment in Ukraine’s air defence efforts. The use of Patriot systems has since bolstered the protection of Ukrainian cities, although demand still exceeds supply.

In April 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Ukraine’s readiness to purchase 10 Patriot systems from the United States for $15 billion, with financial backing expected from European partners. 

A month later, it was reported that an upgraded Patriot system, formerly operated by Israel, would be transferred to Ukraine.

By Aghakazim Guliyev