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Just to add to this story, these 90'ish Patriot interceptors were in storage, used previously for Israel's now retired Patriot systems. The Americans are refurbishing the interceptors to bring them up to current standards, so they can be used sparingly, to intercept Russian ballistic missiles that only SAMP/T among the remainder of Ukraine's air defense systems can handle."The U.S. military transferred around 90 Patriot air defense interceptors from storage in Israel to Poland this week in order to deliver them to Ukraine, three sources with knowledge of the operation tell Axios.
This is also the most significant delivery of weapons from Israel to Ukraine since the Russian invasion almost three years ago.
- For several months, Israel dragged its feet out of concern Russia would retaliate, perhaps by supplying sophisticated weapons to Iran.
- A Ukrainian official tells Axios Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to take his calls on that issue for weeks.
- But in late September, Netanyahu finally approved the idea, an Israeli official says.