Israel to reportedly test missile warning system in Kyiv next month

Report says IDF Home Front Command will deploy system to Ukrainian capital, then expand to other cities if successful; array does not include missile interception

An early warning system that Israel is developing for Ukraine to sound an alert of incoming Russian strikes will reportedly be stationed in Kyiv next month as part of a pilot program.

Citing unnamed Israeli and Ukrainian officials, the Walla news site said officers from the IDF Home Front Command have met several times in Poland with officers from Ukraine in recent months for talks on deploying the system, which is similar to the one used in Israel.

However, unlike in Israel, the system set for deployment in Ukraine will feature alerts only, without interception capabilities. Ukraine had urged Jerusalem to supply it with missile interceptor capabilities, but Jerusalem has so far refused, as Israeli leaders seek to avoid overly antagonizing Russia.

This hesitance appears largely linked to Israel’s strategic need to maintain freedom of operations in Syria, where Russian forces largely control the airspace. Israel is one of the few countries that maintains relatively good relations with both Ukraine, a fellow Western democracy, and Russia.

The meetings included discussions on the need to tweak the system, with the sides noting Ukraine is vastly bigger than Israel and is targeted by more advanced missiles, according to the report.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-to-reportedly-test-missile-warning-system-in-kyiv-next-month/