The Patriot air defense system has started arriving in Slovakia from NATO partner countries and the deployment will continue in the coming days, Slovakia's defense minister said on Sunday.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
The system will be operated by German and Dutch troops and will initially be deployed at the Sliac airport in central Slovakia to help reinforce the defense of NATO's eastern flank.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted the alliance to bolster its defenses.
The Patriot system will be part of a new NATO battlegroup in Slovakia, which neighbors Ukraine.
"I am happy to confirm that the first units in charge of deploying the Patriot air defense system are gradually arriving to Slovakia," Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said on Facebook.
Nad said the Patriot system will be a complement and not a replacement of the Soviet-era S-300 system that Slovakia
operates.
