In first, Israel reportedly grants licenses to export anti-drone systems to Ukraine

In a first, Israel has approved defense export licenses for the sale of anti-drone systems to Ukraine, the Walla news site reports, to help protect against Russian attacks using unnamed Iranian aircraft.

Citing unnamed Israeli and Ukrainian officials, the report says the licenses were granted to Elbit and Rafael, with a Ukrainian delegation recently visiting Israel for a presentation of the system, which can bring down drones by interfering with the frequencies.

No deal has yet been signed.

“What we mostly need at the moment is defense systems against ballistic missiles. There’s a gap we’re unable to bridge,” a Ukrainian official told the news site, noting his country’s improved success rate in bringing down drones.

Israeli officials quoted in the report denied the move marked a change in policy, noting the systems are defensive and wouldn’t harm Russian soldiers. One of the officials said a reason for supplying the systems was to see how they fare against Iranian drones.