The United States has transferred some 90 Patriot air defence interceptors from Israel to Poland this week. These interceptors will be delivered to Ukraine, according to a media report, citing three sources with knowledge of the operation.
“We have seen the reports but have nothing to provide at this time,” a Pentagon spokesperson said in response to the report.
A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed to the media that a Patriot system had been returned to the U.S., adding “it is not known to us whether it was delivered to Ukraine.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he had spoken with Netanyahu. They discussed the Middle East, bilateral ties and U.S. President Donald Trump, who took office last week, Zelenskyy said on social media. The post made no mention of the missiles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been asking his allies for additional US-made Patriot air defence systems. “We need the strong support of our partners,” Zelenskyy announced on social media. He emphasised that “more Patriots for Ukraine mean greater protection for life.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a video that highlighted the devastation caused by recent attacks in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and the Donbas region over the weekend. He paid tribute to the armed forces but stressed that “the task of continuing to protect our airspace remains.” Zelenskyy urged Ukraine’s Western allies to provide additional air defence systems.
Since February 2022, Ukraine has been defending itself against a full-scale invasion by Russia. Over the weekend, the Russian Defence Ministry announced that its forces had gained further ground in eastern Ukraine.
Last week, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, Oleksandr Syrsky, stated that the military is facing a shortage of soldiers. He emphasized the need to increase the number of mechanized brigades but noted that the current mobilization capacity is insufficient to meet this demand.
To strengthen front-line forces, Syrsky mentioned that troops are being reassigned from logistics, supply, and maintenance roles “within reasonable limits” to address personnel gaps and establish new units.
Syrsky’s statement was made in response to complaints from air force units regarding the redeployment of highly qualified personnel to the front lines. He noted that army leadership has halted these redeployment efforts, emphasizing that these soldiers are experienced specialists who cannot be easily replaced.
Ukraine is currently facing a shortage of soldiers for frontline duties, partly due to age restrictions for reservists. While all men are required to complete basic military service starting at age 18, they are only obligated to engage in combat starting at age 25. Some of Ukraine’s allies have urged Kyiv to consider lowering this age limit.
Team Bharatshakti
(With inputs from Reuters)