Spain is giving Patriot missiles to Ukraine — despite shortages for itself.
The Spanish government believes that the war with Iran, initiated by the United States and Israel, is not Europe’s war. On the contrary, Madrid is convinced that the future of European countries is being decided in the war in Ukraine. Therefore, in order to at least partially ease Kyiv’s critical shortage of air defense systems, Spain has secretly donated five Patriot missiles to Ukraine, El País reports.
The missiles in question are Patriot PAC-2, currently in service with the Spanish Army’s Air Defense Artillery Regiment based in Marines (Valencia). Although they are not the most modern missiles, their cost ranges from $3 to $4 million per unit. However, the real problem today is not money, but the inability of the main manufacturer, the American company Raytheon, to meet the rapidly growing demand. For example, the delivery of four Patriot batteries in the 3+ configuration, ordered by Spain for nearly €1.5 billion, has been repeatedly delayed and is now pushed back to 2031. This makes them an extremely scarce resource, including within Spain’s own military arsenals. That is why Sánchez’s gift to Zelensky carries even greater significance, the Spanish publication notes.