- October 1, 2025
- 9:45 pm
- Israel
It seems that Ukraine will have a few more Patriot anti-missiles to fire at Russian ballistic missiles.
On the morning of September 30, 2025, a Ukrainian transport plane An-124 “Ruslan”, registration UR-82029, landed at Ben Gurion Airport (Tel Aviv, Israel). This aircraft is operated by Antonov Airlines, known for international cargo transportation.
According to the publication KyivPost, a long, unmarked container about 12 meters was loaded onto the plane. Immediately after loading, the An-124 set course for Germany, where it landed at Leipzig Airport.
The Container and Its Features
The shape and size of the container turned out to be identical to those used by Israel for transporting Patriot interceptor missiles. These are PAC-2 (MIM-104) missiles, an earlier version of the system that remains in service in several NATO countries and the Israeli army.
This is an important detail because Israel has such containers, and their appearance is well known to military experts.
Route Through Germany and Poland
After landing in Leipzig, about half an hour later, another Ukrainian An-124 took off from the same airport to Lublin, Poland. This Polish city has long played a role as a logistics hub for the supply of weapons and equipment to Ukraine.
The connection between the two flights is not officially confirmed, but the sequence of routes looks coordinated. This is often how supply chains are built: Israel → Germany → Poland → Ukraine.
Zelensky’s Statements
On September 27, 2025, three days before the flight, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky made a statement:
“The Israeli Patriot system has been operating in Ukraine for a month.”
“This fall we will receive two more Patriot systems.”
In addition, he noted that the actual number of Patriots in Ukraine is more than is officially reported.
Thus, the head of state’s statement coincided in time with the appearance of the cargo plane in Israel.
Patriot PAC-2: What These Missiles Are
The Patriot system was developed in the USA at the end of the 20th century and has undergone several upgrades. The PAC-2 version is one of the most widespread, having been adopted by US allies, including Israel.
Missile Length: 5.31 m
Weight: about 900 kg
Range: up to 160 km (for aerodynamic targets)
Intercept Altitude: up to 24 km
The PAC-2 is designed to engage aircraft, cruise, and tactical ballistic missiles. Although it is not the newest version (later PAC-3 with higher accuracy appeared), PAC-2 missiles remain an important element of air defense.
Why Ukraine Needs Patriot
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine has repeatedly been subjected to massive missile attacks by “Iskander”, “Kinzhal”, cruise missiles, and drones.
Patriot is one of the few systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. For Ukraine, this is a vital system. Even older PAC-2 missiles significantly strengthen the missile defense shield.
Israel’s Position
Official Jerusalem has long maintained a restrained position. Israeli authorities have not confirmed the transfer of Patriot systems to Kyiv. Previously, the Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that such supplies were absent.
However, the arrival of the An-124 at Ben Gurion and Zelensky’s statements provide grounds to believe that Israel’s role in these supplies may have been much more significant than publicly stated.
Germany and Poland as Transit Hubs
The route through Leipzig and Lublin fits into known supply schemes. Germany traditionally serves as a major redistribution center for military aid, and Poland is the last link before transferring equipment to Ukraine.
This is why the coincidence of the routes of the two Ukrainian An-124s attracts the interest of military analysts.
The Story with Patriot: How Ukraine Received Them
Until now, Ukraine has already received Patriots from the USA, Germany, and the Netherlands. Each new complex significantly increased air defense capabilities, but they are still not enough to cover all regions of the country.
According to Zelensky, the number of Patriots in Ukraine is more than is known from open data. This is explained by the secrecy of supplies and the allies’ reluctance to disclose routes and logistics details.
What Remains Unanswered
Israel does not comment on what exactly was transported in the container.
There is no official confirmation that these were PAC-2 missiles.
It is unclear how many Patriot complexes Ukraine has already received and how many are expected by the end of 2025.
Conclusion
The facts as of today are as follows:
An-124 UR-82029 arrived in Israel on September 30, loaded a container, and flew to Leipzig.
The container externally matches the casing for Patriot PAC-2.
After Leipzig, a flight followed to Lublin, which corresponds to the logistics schemes of arms supplies.
The Ukrainian General Staff allowed that PAC-2 missiles could have been inside.
Zelensky confirmed that the Patriot system from Israel is already operating in Ukraine, and new complexes are expected in the fall.
These data do not provide a complete answer to the question of the container’s contents, but the sequence of events and the coincidence of statements create a factual basis for the conclusion: Ukraine has indeed strengthened its air defense, and Israel may have played a significant role in this.
