Spain's Patriot missile shipment to arrive in Ukraine within 4 days
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Following pressure from NATO and the EU, Spain officially confirmed its shipment of Patriot missiles is being exported to Ukraine.
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Patriot missile launchers acquired from the US last year are seen deployed in Warsaw, Poland, on February 6, 2023. (AP)
The Spanish Defense Ministry confirmed the exportation of Patriot missiles, Leopard tanks, and armored vehicles to Ukraine, in a statement issued on Friday.
The ministry's statement revealed that the air defense missiles would arrive in Ukraine within four days, and that more military aid packages would arrive in batches over the next two months, which would reportedly include light and heavy machine guns, logistics vehicles, armored personnel carriers, anti-tank weapons, and field artillery howitzers.
“These deliveries will be followed by the dispatch of various aerial surveillance systems and remote combat modules for defense against drones,” it added.
It was reported that the minister affirmed that the process of preparing new Leopard battle tanks for shipment to Ukraine is proceeding as scheduled, with the initial batch expected to be completed by late June.
Additionally, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said deliveries of 155 and 120mm ammunition would follow within the upcoming months.
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NATO pushes Spain, Greece into supplying Ukraine with military aid
Spain had consented to dispatch a shipment of missiles for Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, following pressure from NATO and the European Union, government sources said, as cited by Spanish newspaper El Pais on Friday.
According to the newspaper, the Spanish Defense Ministry decided against transferring an anti-aircraft battery stationed on the Turkey-Syria border since 2013 and chose only to commit to sending ammunition for the system.
Madrid possesses approximately 50 Patriot missiles, each valued at over a million euros ($1.07 million). The Spanish army owns three Patriot batteries, with one stationed in the Turkish city of Adana and two others in a military base in the Spanish region of Valencia, with one used for training of Spanish and Ukrainian military personnel, El Pais added.
The Financial Times reported on Monday that Spain and Greece faced significant pressure from NATO and the EU to supply additional air defense systems to Kiev.
One day later, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged that allies had requested Athens to provide S-300 or Patriot air defense systems to Kiev, but dismissed the possibility of such a move.
Besides Spain, Greece, and Germany, countries like the Netherlands, Romania, and Poland also possess Patriot systems in their arsenals.
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