Romania approves transfer of Patriot to Ukrainian Armed Forces, – Reuters

Romania shares a border with Ukraine, and Russian drone debris has repeatedly flown into its territory.

The lower house of the Romanian parliament has passed a bill that will allow the transfer of the Patriot air defense system to Ukraine .

The bill was approved by the lower house today, Reuters reports . “Romania, a NATO member since 2004, shares a 400-mile border with Ukraine and has been hit by Russian drone debris when Moscow attacked Ukrainian ports,” the report said .

The publication recalled that in this part Ukraine is separated from Romania by the Danube, where Ukrainian ports are located (south of Odessa region).

Reuters notes that the Romanian government sent the relevant law to parliament for approval the day before. As soon as President Klaus Iohannis signs the bill, the government will issue an order to transfer the Patriot to Ukraine.

Romania has decided to donate one of its two operational Patriot systems, one of five such systems and other strategic air defense units that NATO countries have pledged to Kyiv, on the condition that the allies later replace it with another Patriot, Reuters reported.

“The bill approved by parliament says that replacing the Patriot system from the United States should not cost more than what Romania originally paid for the unit, and that the costs will be covered by foreign sources that are ‘non-refundable,'” Reuters writes.

Romania signed a $4 billion deal to buy Patriots in 2017. It has now received four systems, two of which are operational.

(C)UNIAN 2024