Ukraine says it wants to buy Israel's Iron Dome missile system

A Ukrainian diplomat asked Israel on Tuesday to step up its support of Ukraine in the face of Russia's invasion - including by selling Kyiv the Iron Dome missile defence system.

"We ask Israel for a defensive tool in the form of an Iron Dome and similar defensive tools," Ukraine's ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk said at a press conference in Tel Aviv.

"We don’t need a donation, we want to buy it," Korniychuk said.

"As Israel protects the residents of the Gaza Strip from Hamas fire, we must protect our citizens, women, children and men," he suggested.

Israel has used the Iron Dome missile system to down rockets fired from Gaza, amid its own devastating assaults on the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, and continues to pound eastern parts of the country. Israel condemned the Russian invasion and vowed to support Ukraine with military and humanitarian assistance.

However, Israel has been criticised for its lack of real support for Kyiv, and continued relations with Russia, a key ally.

It reportedly rejected a Ukrainian request to purchase the Iron Dome system, which intercepts short-range rocket fire, days before Russia launched a brutal invasion of its neighbour state.

During Tuesday's press conference, the diplomat criticised Israel for refusing to sell Ukraine its Spike SR anti-tank guided missile.

"Last week, from what I know for sure, Americans gave permission for the anti-spike missiles to be transferred from Germany to Ukraine, and Israel said no," said Korniychuk.

The anti-tank missiles are produced by Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defence Systems. Rafael has already sold the missiles to almost 20 EU and NATO member states.

Israel has also reportedly also blocked sales of the Iron Dome missile defence system to the UAE.