Italy will send a second air defense system to Ukraine, Foreign Minister said
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Italy will send a second SAMP/T air defence system to Ukraine, its foreign minister said in a radio interview on Monday, a response to Kiev’s appeal for more help to defend against Russian missile attacks.
ROME: Italy’s foreign minister said in a radio interview on Monday that his country will send a second SAMP/T air defence system to Ukraine, responding to Kiev’s appeal for more help to defend against Russian missile attacks.
The system, also known as MAMBA, is a Franco-Italian battery that can track dozens of targets and intercept 10 at a time. It is the only European-made system that can intercept ballistic missiles.
Rome and Paris jointly delivered the first systems in 2023, but in recent months Ukraine has repeatedly called on partners to provide more support for air defense as it faces increasing attacks on cities and energy infrastructure.
“It is well known that we will send SAMP/T, which is a means of air defence, therefore a means of protection, which Ukraine asked us for,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told state broadcaster Rai.
Italy has approved eight aid packages to the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Tajani said SAMP/T would be part of a ninth package under preparation, but he did not give a timeframe for delivery.
All shipments so far have been shrouded in official secrecy, and the government has never made public an exact list of weapons sent to Ukraine.
A source close to the matter previously told Reuters that Italy would likely send Ukraine the SAMP/T system, which is currently deployed in Kuwait but will soon return to Italy.
The government could give the green light to new supplies after the G-7 summit of leaders of major democracies, which Italy will host on June 13-15, the Corriere della Sera newspaper reported on Monday.
G-7 foreign ministers pledged to provide more air defense support to Ukraine during a meeting on the Italian island of Capri in April, saying they were committed to saving lives and protecting critical infrastructure.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Reuters)