Slovakia supplies Ukraine with S-300 air defense system

Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger, left, alongside Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell visit a mass grave in the northern town of Boutcha -west of kyiv on April 8, 2022. AFP - SERGEI SUPINSKY

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The Slovak Prime Minister accompanied the President of the European Commission to Ukraine on Friday April 8.

He said that the Slovak army will deliver mobile missile defense systems to the Ukrainian army.

This is one of the main official material contributions to the war effort to fight against the Russian invasion, after the information about the delivery of tanks by the Czech army.

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With our correspondent in the region,

Alexis Rosenzweig

Traveling to Kiev, Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger confirmed that his country had supplied the S-300 air defense system to the Ukrainian army, according to him to " 

help save as many innocent Ukrainians as possible

 ".

Of Soviet design, this system is offered to Ukraine and Slovakia must in exchange receive from Washington a new Patriot missile defense system – information

confirmed by the White House on Friday

.

The Czech Republic has also sent Soviet-designed equipment to the Ukrainians, tanks and armored vehicles, which the Czech Minister of Defense has confirmed in half-words, while regretting that Hungary complicates the delivery of weapons by refusing to open its border for this purpose.

The head of Russian diplomacy Sergey Lavrov warned three weeks ago that Moscow would not tolerate this type of arms supply to Ukraine, which he said would be "

 legitimate targets 

".

►Also listen: Will we be able to find calm relations with Russia?

Slovakia, a country bordering Ukraine, also now hosts on its soil a new NATO battle group, of which it is a part, with in particular Czech, American, German, Dutch and Slovenian soldiers.

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  • Slovakia

  • Ukraine

  • Russia

  • Sergei Lavrov

  • Ursula von der Leyen