Israel Approves Licenses for Possible Sale of Anti-Drone Systems to Ukraine

According to the Axios portal, Israel has confirmed export licenses for anti-drone systems for potential sale to Ukraine. This marks the first instance since the beginning of the Russian special military operation where Israel has agreed to supply arms to Ukraine, which it had previously declined to do. Licenses have been granted to Elbit and Rafael.

The decision was made back in mid-February amid a reassessment of Israel's stance on the Ukrainian crisis by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen's visit to Kyiv in February was marked by the announcement regarding the licenses from President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The systems offered by Israel can be used for jamming and intercepting drones. They can be deployed near critical infrastructure and have a range of approximately 40 kilometers. Ukrainian officials have expressed a desire for more anti-missile systems.

Tel Aviv states that the proposed systems are defensive and cannot be used directly against Russian military forces. One of the reasons for the approval of the sale may be Israel's desire to test these systems against Iranian drones, which are allegedly being used during the conflict in Ukraine, according to Western claims.