Israel has provided its decommissioned Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, the most significant weapon delivery since the start of the Russian invasion. Following its decommissioning, Ukraine requested that Israel return the missiles to the U.S. for refurbishment. Initially hesitant due to concerns over Russian retaliation, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu eventually approved the transfer. The decision coincided with diplomatic negotiations concerning a pilgrimage of ultra-Orthodox Israelis to Ukraine. Despite communication with Russia about the nature of the transfer, tensions remain regarding military support amid ongoing conflicts.
At the time, Netanyahu wanted to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in order to get his approval for ultra-Orthodox Israelis to make an annual pilgrimage to the city of Uman in Ukraine, where a famous Rabbi is buried.
The system became less relevant as Israel developed its own air defense systems, and most Patriot batteries were used for training or left in storage.
But in late September, Netanyahu finally approved the idea, an Israeli official says.
A senior Israeli official told me Israel informed Russia in advance of the move and stressed it was "only returning the Patriot system to the U.S." and not supplying weapons to Ukraine.
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