Ukraine to receive more Hawk air defense systems from Spain

Spain will provide Ukraine with another six Hawk air defense systems to combat potential Russian bombings of civilian facilities and protect the new Black Sea corridor, the Spanish government announced on Oct. 5.

The announcement follows a bilateral meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on the sidelines of the third European Political Community Summit in Granada, Spain.

During the meeting, Sanchez offered Zelensky new anti-aircraft and anti-drone systems, relevant training for Ukrainian soldiers, and demining equipment, according to Madrid.

The MIM-23 Hawk is an American medium-range surface-to-air missile system developed by Raytheon. It entered service in 1960 and is still being used by Egypt, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, and other countries.

Spain has already delivered several Hawk air defense systems to Ukraine. In January, the U.S. reportedly asked the Israeli government to transfer its old Hawk anti-aircraft missiles in storage to Ukraine, but Israel refused.