The US has shipped approximately 90 Patriot air defense systems to the Ukrainian Armed Forces amidst the country’s conflict with Russia.
The capabilities were sourced from the American military’s stockpile stored in Israeli territory, according to Virginia-based news agency Axios.
Delivery involved several US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft that collected the weapons from a southern Israeli air base.
The fleet landed in Rzeszów, Eastern Poland where primary military and humanitarian assistance deliveries pass through into Ukraine.
For Kharkiv’s Defense
Washington’s plan to send Patriot systems to Kyiv surfaced in June 2024 as the Biden administration’s response to a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
During that time, the Ukrainian government said it needed the capability to bolster firepower, particularly in the eastern Kharkiv region.
Ex-Israeli Systems Included
The latest update noted that parts of the donation to Ukraine incorporated units decommissioned by the Israel Defense Forces last April.
By September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed a project that would send back the used Patriots to the US for refurbishment before their transfer to Ukraine.
German Patriots in Poland
Days before the American package to Ukraine, Germany stationed its own Patriot air defense systems in Rzeszów, further securing passage of aid and equipment to the war-torn country.
Additionally, Berlin will couple the ground-based firepower with air policing and in-flight refueling missions in Poland.
