Italy will withdraw the SAMP/T air defense system from Slovakia.
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Italian authorities told the Slovaks that this air defense system was “needed elsewhere.” This was stated by Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico, Aktuality reports.
“I received a message from the Italian government that the Italian air defense system, which they borrowed from us for a year, will be withdrawn from Slovakia, because they need it elsewhere,” he noted.
Fico also asked who will now protect nuclear power plants and other strategic sites in Slovakia.
He recalled that Slovakia provided Ukraine with the S-300 air defense system after Russia’s large-scale invasion in 2022. In 2023, the American Patriot air defense system was deployed in Slovakia, but then it was replaced by the Italian SAMP/T air defense system.
As you know, in May 2023, Ukraine received the first French-Italian long-range anti-aircraft missile system SAMP/T, which is considered the most advanced air defense system in Europe. It can destroy aerodynamic targets at a distance of up to 150 km at an altitude of up to 25 km. In particular, SAMP/T is capable of destroying ballistic missiles at a distance of up to 25 km.
Let us remember that before the elections in Slovakia, Fico promised to stop official military assistance to Ukraine if he wins. And last November, after Fico’s victory, the Slovak parliament voted for a program to end state military aid to Ukraine.
Source: Aktuality
Source: Racurs
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