Ukraine considering buying weapons from private Israeli arms dealers

Ukraine is considering purchasing arms from private Israeli dealers after Israel ruled out providing direct military assistance to Kyiv, according to Haaretz.

A high-level Ukrainian delegation that has been in Israel for around a week has looked into buying arms from multiple private dealers, including a former Israeli army officer who now runs a security consultancy firm.

However, according to sources mentioned in Haaretz, the delegation was told that any deal would require approval from Israel’s Defence Ministry, casting doubt on whether the transactions would take place.

Israel has frozen all military exports to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began last month, according to senior Ukrainian officials.

Israel's Defence Ministry, which does not generally comment on arms deals, has declined to respond to this claim.

The Ukrainian delegation includes senior officials including Serhiy Shefir, one of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s aides.

They met with Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, Construction and Housing Minister Zeev Elkin and Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy last week.

Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine has killed thousands of people and forced at least four million from their homes.

Ukrainian President Zelensky has addressed several governments around the world since the war began, and has repeatedly stated Ukraine’s forces need firepower and aircraft to fight off the Russian offensive.