Athens is preparing for Zelensky’s visit: Ukraine asks for Patriot systems and Mirage fighters

President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky on Sunday urgently arrives in Greeceto hold talks with the Prime Minister Kyriakis Mitsotakis and request additional weapons, including two of the five remaining systems in the country MIM-104 Patriotas well as a batch of fighters Mirage 2000-5Mk2.

One Greek Patriot battery is already deployed in Saudi Arabia, so 5 remaining batteries cover Athens, Thessaloniki and strategic zone Eleftheroupolisthrough which the airspace of the Aegean Sea is controlled.

Besides Patriotthe Ukrainian side intends request all combat aircraft Mirage 2000-5Mk2in service since the late 1990s. Sources claim that such a request is linked to Greece’s possible plans to acquire 12 more fighters. Rafale F3.

Zelensky also intends to discuss the supply of an additional “package” of artillery systems, ammunition and other military equipment.

Who will Zelensky meet with?

The visit includes in addition to the meeting with the Prime Ministermeeting with the President of the Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas and Chairman of Parliament Nikitas Kaklamanis.

What Greece has already sent to Ukraine

Over the past two years, Greece has supplied Kyiv with a significant amount of weapons, most of which came from army depots on the islands. According to sources, the transferred weapons include:

• 122 BMP-1 with full ammunition;
• 15,000 73 mm shells;
• 150,000 155 mm shells;
• 150,000 203 mm shells;
• 2,100 122 mm rockets;
• 20,000 machines AK-47;
• 3,200,000 rounds of 7.62 mm;
• 60 MANPADS FIM-92 Stinger;
• 17,000 155 mm artillery shells (optional);
• 1,100 anti-tank grenades RPG-18;
• 60 howitzers M110 from the islands of the East Aegean Sea.

To transport all these weapons, 6 Greek, 10 Canadian and 5 New Zealand transport workers were involved C-130,

Ukraine is almost entirely exhausted its supply of Patriot missileswhich are used by the dozens every week to intercept Russian UAVs. That is why Kyiv is seeking to obtain additional long-range systems.

At the same time, as sources note, the fact that Zelensky personally flies for Patriot is completely does not mean that Greece will agree to hand them over. But then the question arises: Why would he fly if he did not expect to receive a positive answer? Especially considering events of recent days?

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