US Is Trying to Get S-300 for Ukraine From Eastern Europeans Who Have Them

Slovakia, Bulgaria, Greece

Natasha Bertrand 724 7

Editor’s note: It seems that the Dutch and the Germans will be deploying Patriot systems to Slovakia is because the country has been told to give its S-300s to Ukraine.

Source: CNN

Slovakia has preliminarily agreed to provide Ukraine with a key Soviet-era air defense system to help defend against Russian airstrikes, according to three sources familiar with the matter, but the US and NATO are still grappling with how to backfill that country’s own defensive capabilities, and the transfer is not yet assured.

According to two of the sources, Slovakia, one of three NATO allies that have the S-300 missile defense system, wants assurances that the systems will be replaced immediately.

Any country providing S-300s is likely to receive the US-made Patriot air defense missile system to backfill the capability it would be giving up, according to two other sources familiar with the negotiations. Germany and the Netherlands have already publicly announced that they are sending Patriots to Slovakia. But integrating a new, complex air defense system into a country’s existing military architecture, as well as training its forces to use it, can take time, one source familiar with the matter cautioned.

A diplomat in the region said it’s “not a done deal” that Slovakia will provide Ukraine with S-300s but noted that Germany is bringing in Patriots now, which would cover Slovakia’s ability to defend itself. Slovak troops would also not need training as they’ve operated Patriots in joint missions with other countries previously, the diplomat said. [Of course they would still need training.]

The push to get more S-300s into the hands of the Ukrainians comes as Congress has been pressing the Biden administration to help Ukraine obtain the air defense system.

Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, hinted publicly Wednesday that the US had made progress in getting Ukraine access to additional S-300s, an anti-aircraft weapon system that congressional sources say Ukraine is already operating effectively against Russia’s assault.

“I’ve been pushing hard for this,” McCaul told CNN’s Jim Sciutto. “I’m proud to say they do have S-300s going in now.”

An aide to McCaul later said he was referring to S-300 systems that have been owned and operated by Ukraine for years. Those systems are already in the country.

A senior defense official declined to comment on specific weapons systems or countries that might provide them, but noted that Austin was traveling to Slovakia to meet with the defense minister. The official said security assistance would be certainly a topic of discussion.

CNN previously reported that the State Department has been working to identify which countries currently have S-300s and determine how they could be transferred to Ukraine.

The Slovakian Embassy in Washington declined to comment. CNN has reached out to the National Security Council and the Defense Department for comment.

CNN reported earlier Wednesday that other Soviet-era air defense systems, including the SA8 [9K33 Osa], have already been sent into Ukraine.

“People talk about a no-fly zone, they can create their own if we give them the military equipment and weapons,” McCaul noted.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is scheduled to travel to Slovakia later this week after participating in the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels.

“At the request of President Zelensky, we have identified and are helping Ukraine acquire additional longer-range anti-aircraft systems and the munitions for those systems,” President Joe Biden said Wednesday as part of remarks detailing new security assistance.

Some US allies have also been leery of making their contributions to Ukraine public, multiple sources told CNN. Bulgaria and Greece also have more of the modern S-300 systems in question. Greece’s system is a different model than those currently operated by Ukraine, raising questions of whether additional training would be needed for it to be useful.

7 Comments
  1. Face of Castlereagh says

    It looks like the upgrade versions went into production post-Falklands, in many instances.

    The Exocet codes ruined the Argentinian gameplan, so if the Rus adopted a kill switch to prevent having the system deployed against the homeland, these S-300 could end up being a huge hassle to attempt to covertly install, yet even less valuable than the Patriot batteries that allowed armed drones to pass over unharmed in Saudi Arabia not too long ago.

    Reply
    1. ken says

      Yeah,,, Pretty sure Russia would have little problem working around what is essentially their equipment… This is for consumption by people without a clue…

      Reply
  2. Ultrafart the Brave says

    I wouldn’t like to bet on the life expectancy of this gear if it actually makes it onto Ukrainian territory. But the MIC will still pocket the lucrative profits from replacing it.

    Reply
  3. SteveK9 says

    This is all a bad joke.

    Reply
  4. nnn says

    Zionist mafia just cannot wait to start a WWIII

    Reply
    1. XSFRGR says

      This is exactly what it’s all about !!

      Reply
  5. XSFRGR says

    I suppose we’ll see how firm Putin’s threat of dealing with those nation who interfere in Ukraine turns out to be. It’s obvious that NATO wants a war, and the only way to deal with NATO is nuclear weapons. The citizens of NATO have no idea what’s going on, but the Yid Banksters have figured out some way to make money off of the death of millions.

    “War is the Jew’s bountiful harvest.”

    Reply

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