Netanyahu Will Consider Providing Air Defense Systems to Ukraine, Zelenskyy says

Binyamin Netanyahu, who will soon take over as Israel’s prime minister … again, told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he will “consider” providing air defense systems to Ukraine, Zelenskyy told reporters on Wednesday. Zelenskyy said he raised the issue with Netanyahu when he called to congratulate him on his victory in Israel’s recent national elections. Netanyahu said he would consider how he can help, the Israeli daily Maariv reported.

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that new intelligence collected from downed Iranian drones fired from Russia at Ukraine shows that a majority of the aircrafts’ parts are manufactured by companies in the US, Europe, and other allied nations, including Israel. For example, the high-resolution telescopic infrared lens used in the Mohajer-6 drone used for surveillance and targeting is identical to a model made by the Israeli firm, Ophir Optronics Solutions Ltd., according to the WSJ. MKS Instruments Inc., Ophir’s parent company, said that it does not sell to Iran. The Israeli government is reviewing the findings, according to the report, which cited an Israel Defense Ministry spokeswoman who said that the lens is not a controlled defense item nor a dual-use item.