Simon Hunter
SPAIN has succumbed to pressure from both the European Union and Nato and will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine in a bid to strengthen the beleaguered country’s defence against Russian air attacks.
That’s according to Spanish government sources, who were speaking to newspaper El Pais.
The same sources said that just a small number of the missiles would be handed over to Kiev.
Each of the units has a cost of more than €1 million and an aerial range of 24 kilometres.
The move comes after the Spanish Defence Ministry ruled out the option of passing on a battery of the missiles that it has deployed on the border between Turkey and Syria since 2013.
In total, the Spanish army has three Patriot missile batteries, according to El Pais, each with a launcher, as well as radar and control systems. They were purchased second hand from Germany in 2004 and 2014.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been requesting six missile batteries to defend key areas of his country ahead of a Russian offensive that is expected to begin in a matter of months.
Zelensky had reportedly been eyeing Spain’s aforementioned battery on the Turkish-Syrian border but the Defence Ministry ruled that option out on the basis that it is already low on such missile systems.
Instead, a reduced number of Patriot missiles will be sent.
The Spanish government has repeatedly voiced its support for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion back in early 2022.
In fact, Madrid is preparing a new package of arms, according to El Pais, which includes 10 Leopard tanks, in addition to 10 it has already sent.
Spain has also sent 12 Hawk medium-range surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine.
