Ukraine’s ambassador criticises Israel for refusing to cooperate in the fight against Iranian drones
Ambassador of Ukraine to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk said that Israel rejected Ukraine’s offer to cooperate in the fight against Iranian drones. That’s what he’s about reported in an interview with the publication Ynet, which is quoted by the Times of Israel.
Korniychuk noted that back in February 2023, he delivered to the office of the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, the remains of the Iranian drone, with which Russia fired at Kyiv. Then he warned the Israeli side that without active cooperation with Ukraine, the same drones could be used against Israel.
“I don’t want to say now: “That’s what I said”, the ambassador said.
He alluded to the recent attack by the Lebanese group “Hezbollah” on an Israeli military base with the help of Iranian drones.
Despite the fact that cooperation between Kyiv and Jerusalem intensified after the Hamas attack on Israel, Korniychuk believes that more could be done, in particular in matters of intelligence sharing.
Earlier, in June 2022, Korniychuk stated that Ukraine seeks to acquire the Israeli air defense system “Iron Dome”. He emphasized that he considers this system not a weapon, but a tool for saving civilian lives. However, the then Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksiy Reznikov, noted that the “Iron Dome” is not suitable for Ukraine, as it is not capable of effectively countering Russian ballistic and cruise missiles.
In January 2023, Korniychuk reported on progress in the transfer of Israeli technology to Ukraine for intelligent warning of missile and drone attacks. This process is ongoing, and Ukraine should receive the system in the near future.
