Ukraine left defenseless as secret ally reverses Patriot system deal

The Netherlands and a mysterious "ally" were supposed to deliver a complete Patriot system to Ukraine. However, the ally backed out, and Kyiv will not receive a weapon to protect the country from air attacks.

For many months, Ukraine has been appealing for air defense systems to protect its civilian and military installations from Russian missiles and drones. One of the countries that responded to this appeal was the Netherlands.

At the end of May, the Ministry of Defense announced its intention to deliver a Patriot system to Ukraine, stating that the Netherlands had the "basic components" ready. They were looking for an ally to provide the missing parts to make the system fully operational.

The Patriot system consists of many components. Its core is the fire-control section, which includes a fire control radar, a battle management station, an OE-349 antenna mast, and a power station. It also includes eight missile launchers and the missiles themselves.

It turned out that the Netherlands had three launch installations and a radar. The rest was supposed to be provided by another country.

In June, the minister announced they had found a country that agreed to provide the missing parts of the system. However, they did not specify which country it was.

According to ANP, the donation will not happen. A defense ministry spokesperson stated that the ministry was "recently" informed that "the previously mentioned commitment from the ally will not be honored."

The ministry does not want to disclose which ally it is.