This marks the most significant delivery of weapons involving Israel to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion nearly three years ago.The Patriot air defense system was officially decommissioned by the Israeli Air Force in April 2023, over three decades after it was first provided to Israel during the Gulf War. With Israel now relying on its own advanced air defense technologies, such as the Iron Dome, the Patriot system had been relegated to training or storage. Following its retirement, Ukrainian officials approached both the U.S. and Israel with a proposal to return the missiles to the U.S. for refurbishment and subsequent delivery to Ukraine, Axios reports. Despite the plan, Israel initially delayed its decision due to concerns that Russia might retaliate by supplying advanced weaponry to Iran.