Kamikaze drone strike in Kyiv
Kamikaze drone strike in KyivReuters/State Emergency Service of Ukraine via EYEPRESS

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Tuesday that his government intends to formally ask Israel to provide it with military assistance as it continues to fight off Russia's invasion.

"We will send an official request to Israel for immediate delivery of air defense systems and cooperation in the field," Kuleba said.

It is unclear which air defense systems the foreign minister was referring to. Ukrainian officials have previously expressed an interest in acquiring Israel's Iron Dome system, but Israeli officials have maintained that Iron Dome is designed for short-range rocket threats and not the kind of missiles employed by the Russian military.

Israel also has the David's Sling and Arrow systems, which are designed to combat against longer-range threats than Iron Dome.

On Monday, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned Israel that any provision of military weaponry to Ukraine would severely damage Israel's relations with Russia.

“It seems Israel will supply weapons to the Kyiv regime. A very reckless move. It will destroy all diplomatic relations between our countries,” Medvedev wrote on Telegram.

While Israel has provided humanitarian aid and medical assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022, it has refrained from providing military aid over concerns Russia could retaliate by no longer accepting Israel's freedom of action in Syria.

This calculation may be changing following reports that Russia has used Iranian-made drones in suicide attacks on Ukrainian cities over the last week. There have also been reports that Iran will provide Russia with further weapons systems, including ballistic missiles, to use against Ukraine.