The systems were first handed over to the US, who will refurbish launchers and radars before delivery to Ukraine.
Why it matters: Getting more Patriot missiles to Ukraine has been a top priority for the Pentagon to help Kyiv defend against Russia’s attacks on its critical infrastructure.
This is also the most significant delivery of weapons from Israel to Ukraine since the Russian invasion almost three years ago.
Catch up quick: Last April, the Israeli Air Force officially decommissioned the Patriot air defense system, more than 30 years after it was first given to Israel during the first Gulf War.
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.
Behind the scenes: The sources tell Axios that after the IDF announced the decommissioning, Ukrainian officials approached the U.S. and Israel with an idea: Israel would give those missiles back to the U.S. to be refurbished and sent on to Ukraine
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.
Friction point: 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.
Zelensky wouldn’t take his call until Netanyahu approved the Patriot deal, the Ukrainian official says.
A spokesperson for Netanyahu told Axios the prime minister didn’t object to the decommissioning of the Patriot system and its return to the U.S. and denied any connection between this and the pilgrimage.
The Pentagon declined to comment for this story, as did a spokesperson for U.S. European Command.
Between the lines: 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.
The official said Israel told Russia it was a similar move to the one the U.S. made two years ago when it transferred artillery shells from emergency storage in Israel to Ukraine.
A spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister’s office confirmed a Patriot system had been returned to the U.S., adding “it is not known to us whether it was delivered to Ukraine.”
State of play: In recent days, U.S. Air Force C-17 planes arrived at an air base in southern Israel and departed for Rzeszów in Eastern Poland, a hub for moving weapons into Ukraine.
The sources said the flight transferred roughly 90 patriot interceptors that can be used by Ukraine with its current patriot batteries. The flights carried around 90 interceptors, which Ukraine can use with its current batteries. Additional equipment, like radars and other gear, will first be transferred to the U.S. to be refurbished.
What they’re saying: Zelensky and Netanyahu spoke Tuesday, and Zelensky tweeted that they had discussed the release of the hostages as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
“We also discussed maintaining close contact with partners, particularly the United States and President Trump. We addressed current bilateral matters and agreed to maintain close contact in the near future,” Zelensky added.
