Slovakia says it has given S-300 air defence system to Ukraine | Russia-Ukraine struggle Information

Prime Minister Eduard Heger says donation doesn’t imply the NATO member joined the struggle.

Prime Minister Eduard Heger says Slovakia has given its S-300 air defence system to Ukraine to assist it defend in opposition to Russian assaults.

In a put up on Fb on Friday, Heger mentioned the donation of the Soviet-made anti-aircraft batteries didn’t imply that the European Union and NATO member had joined the battle with Russia, which invaded neighbouring Ukraine on February 24.

“I can verify that the Slovak Republic has donated the S-300 air defence system to Ukraine, following Ukraine’s request for help,” Heger wrote.

“The donation of the system doesn’t imply that the Slovak Republic has grow to be part of the armed battle in Ukraine,” he added.

Ukraine has appealed to Western nations for navy help, together with air defence tools, to assist repel a Russian navy onslaught.

On Friday, the USA mentioned it could ship new weapon methods to Ukraine after NATO overseas ministers assembly in Brussels agreed to speed up arms deliveries in response to Russia’s invasion.

Urged by Ukrainian Overseas Minister Dmytro Kuleba to finish bureaucracy-driven delays, Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned the US and 30 different international locations had been sending weapons to Ukraine and that that course of would intensify.

Blinken added the US had already agreed to ship Kyiv anti-aircraft methods, shoulder-held anti-tank weapons and armoured automobiles.

Final week, Pentagon officers mentioned not all of the weaponry President Joe Biden had promised to Ukraine in mid-March, together with the S-300, had been delivered but.

Celeste Wallander, assistant secretary of defence for worldwide safety affairs, advised a congressional listening to: “We’ve got centered on getting international locations that maintain Soviet legacy methods together with S-300 methods, which have spare elements, missiles, totally different elements of that S-300 system, who’re prepared to ship that to Ukraine.”

She added that the US was in discussions with Slovakia, which has sought to interchange its S-300s with extra trendy US-made Patriot missile batteries.

In March, Slovakia mentioned it could present the defence system to Ukraine solely on the situation that it obtain a substitute to keep away from a NATO safety hole.

Heger mentioned Slovakia was giving the S-300s “to Ukraine and its harmless residents, believing that this technique will assist save the lives of as many harmless Ukrainians as doable.”