Israel, Ukraine to test early warning system in Kiev: Report
If the test is successful, the system could be operational in several Ukrainian cities by summer
By
News Desk
– April 21 2023
https://media.thecradle.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/isuk.jpg
(Photo credit: Xinhua)
The Israeli military intends to test its early warning system in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev next month and make it operational for the Ukrainian army by summer, Israeli and Ukrainian officials told US media outlet Axios on 20 April.
The warning system will be linked to Ukraine’s radar and air defense network and able to “send faster and more specific alerts to Ukrainian civilians in the areas that are targeted” by Russian missiles, Axios reported.
The warning system is not capable of intercepting incoming missiles, however.
According to Axios, Israeli military officers have met with Ukrainian counterparts in Poland several times in recent months.
“The Israelis presented the system and discussed how to reconfigure the software so that it would be compatible with Ukraine’s needs …The big difference in the size of Ukraine and Israel and because different rockets and missiles are used by Russia to target Ukrainian cities means that the system will need adjustments,” the officials told Axios.
Israel and Ukraine agreed to carry out the first test for the system in May. If successful, it will be extended across a number of Ukrainian cities.
In January this year, Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, Yevgeny Korniychuk, confirmed that Tel Aviv would be supplying Kiev with the early warning systems.
Previously, Kiev had been pressuring Tel Aviv to send direct military support. Despite reports of Israeli officers providing training to Ukrainian soldiers last year, Israel has not given any offensive weapons to Ukraine and has made it official policy to only provide defensive equipment humanitarian assistance.
Nonetheless, Israeli military vehicles have been spotted on the Ukrainian battlefield.
On 16 March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will not give Ukraine military support due to agreements between Tel Aviv and Moscow regarding Syria.
“I must say quite frankly that we are facing a complex situation … Israeli pilots and Russian pilots are flying within spitting distance of each other over the skies of Syria,” Netanyahu said, suggesting that support for Ukraine could potentially place Israeli jets in Syria within the Russian line of fire.
This echoes the comments made by his predecessor, Yair Lapid, last year.
Israeli aid to Ukraine, however limited, has resulted in significant tension between Moscow and Tel Aviv since the start of the war in February 2022.
Keywords
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israel
Israeli military
Kiev
Russia
Syria
Ukraine
warning systems
