Israel unlikely to meet September target for deploying air alert system in Ukraine

It seems increasingly unlikely that Israel will meet the September target to deploy the civilian air alert system being designed for Ukraine, diplomatic officials tell The Times of Israel.

Field tests could begin in Kyiv in September, but it will take months before it is fully operational. The Defense Ministry hosted Ukrainian officials yesterday to discuss the project’s progress.

Since the beginning of the war last year, Russia has battered Ukrainian cities with missile and suicide drone strikes.

Unlike in Israel, the system set for deployment in Ukraine will feature alerts only, without interception capabilities. Ukraine has long sought missile interceptor capabilities, but Israel has so far refused, seeking to avoid overly antagonizing Russia. This hesitance is mainly seen as linked to Israel’s strategic need to maintain freedom of operations in Syria, where Russian forces largely control the airspace.