Spain will provide Ukraine with missiles for Patriot system, despite pressure from NATO and the European Union, which demand that European countries that have this American-made system transfer them to Kyiv. This was reported by El Pais, citing government sources.

According to the publication's sources, the decision to transfer a small number of missiles came after the Spanish Ministry of Defense refused to hand over to Ukraine a battery deployed since 2013 on the border of Turkey and Syria.

The Spanish Ministry of Defense has categorically refused to supply the systems to Ukraine, arguing that they are the only ones effective in the event of a missile attack, as demonstrated during the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and that the Spanish armed forces are insufficiently equipped.

However, according to the sources, the government agreed to provide a batch of Patriot missiles as compensation. In any case, it will be a very limited number, as the Spanish military reserve is about 50 units, and the interceptors are very expensive.

The journalists noted that the Spanish army has three batteries, each of which has the appropriate missile launchers, radar and control station, purchased in Germany in 2004 and 2014.