According to reports, Ukraine has requested Greece to transfer up to 200 PAC-2 missiles from its Patriot batteries, which have been in service for 23 years and are believed to be nearing the end of their operational life.
This request follows previous negotiations regarding the potential transfer of part of Greece’s six Patriot batteries, which did not result in an agreement. While some allies suggested that Greece could supply part of its Patriot stock, Ukraine’s current focus is on procuring the missiles rather than the entire systems, as noted by eKathimerini.
For the transfer to occur, Greek officials must determine that the missiles are still operational but not critical for combat use. Reports also indicate that Ukrainian officials are discussing the possibility of Greece selling the missiles to Norway, which would then deliver them to Kyiv. However, Athens has yet to show any signs of a positive response to this proposal.
Greek officials assert that the country is already contributing to the security of its allies by deploying Patriot systems, including one battery in Saudi Arabia that protects vital oil refining infrastructure.
Additionally, Greece has previously supplied Sea Sparrow and Crotale missiles to support Ukraine after these systems reached the end of their service life.
Context
- The Ukrainian Air Force reported that during a massive attack on July 6, air defense forces failed to neutralize any ballistic missiles due to a shortage of Patriot missiles. Former Defense Minister’s advisor Serhiy Beskrestnov highlighted a global deficit of Patriot missiles and noted that Ukraine lacks the means to intercept ballistic missiles.
- On July 8, during a press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Washington might grant Ukraine a license to manufacture missiles for its Patriot systems, a request Zelensky has repeatedly made due to delays in the supply of these air defense systems to counter Russian strikes.
