Israel’s ambassador to Ukraine has confirmed that Kyiv is now in possession of the potent Israeli “Red Code” early warning system, which will aid the embattled country in thwarting Russian aerial attacks.
Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky, who spoke to Ukrainian media, said the Tzeva Adom missile warning system was finally delivered to Ukraine after several months of planning and discussion. “Tzeva Adom” in Hebrew means “Code Red.”
The envoy emphasized that Ukraine was solely responsible for implementing the system and integrating it into the country’s current air defense framework, with Israel’s role limited to agreeing to provide the system… “We fulfilled our promises and transferred everything that was required to the Ukrainian side,” Brodsky emphasized.
Numerous military watchers and media websites in Ukraine have already raised concerns about the system’s inoperability and lamented the lack of information from Ukrainian officials regarding the reason for the delay, especially since Russia has been constantly pounding Ukrainian cities.
The handover of the system follows a long and arduous process of consultations between the two sides.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel, Yevhen Korniychuk, stated that testing and experiments with the Tzeva Adom had begun in early 2023. The system’s deployment was intended to begin in major Ukrainian cities where attacks have targeted important infrastructure. When the system is in place, it will quickly notify the public of impending dangers from increasingly regular missile strikes.
Israel delivers advanced missile warning system 'Tzeva Adom' to Ukraine amid rising drone and missile threats https://t.co/89aSVniztV
— AlexandruC4 (@AlexandruC4) October 6, 2024
The Israeli ambassador’s statement comes months after Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, said the country was working toward sending Ukraine early-warning systems for missile strikes and drone attacks. Such systems would help “save civilian lives from Russia’s indiscriminate missile and drone attacks,” Erdan said at the time.
Analysts believe that the delivery has the potential to sabotage Israel’s relationship with Russia. Despite being a close ally of the US, which is the largest supplier of military aid to Ukraine, Israel has so far walked on a diplomatic tightrope with respect to the Russia-Ukraine War. Israel has actively pursued cooperation with Russia in Syria while frequently being on opposing sides in geopolitical matters.
Israel has so far declined Ukraine’s request for missile interceptor capability to avoid upsetting Russia. This hesitation is largely attributed to Israel’s strategic need to maintain its operational freedom in Syria, where Russian forces predominantly control the airspace. Israel is one of the few nations that enjoy somewhat positive ties with both Russia and Ukraine.
After dithering on the issue of sending military aid to Ukraine, Israel reportedly authorized the sale of defensive military equipment to Ukraine, including electronic warfare equipment with a 40-kilometer range that could be used to ward off drone attacks. This information, however, could not be verified by EurAsian Times.
The system delivered to Ukraine is configured to ensure extensive coverage, resulting in alerts being triggered across a wide region where a Russian missile is expected to strike.
Israel’s Tzeva Adom
The Tzeva Adom system can precisely track missile and drone launches, compute their flight paths, and pinpoint precise impact points, thus reducing the area that could be dangerous during an assault.
This early warning system also determines the crucial window of time for seeking cover. Four times, a female voice warning of impending danger is recorded. The alerts continue until every rocket is intercepted and no more launches are found.
Throughout the years, when militants in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon have launched thousands of missiles at Israeli cities, the system has been credited for saving hundreds of lives in Israel.
In fact, the Israel Defense Forces have extensively used the Tzeva Adom system to warn residents in the villages near the Gaza Strip of imminent attacks. In recent times, the system’s precision has been improved, allowing it to restrict the areas of large cities where it issues notifications.
Alerts can be accessed using an iPhone app available on the App Store since at least 2014. When Operation Protective Edge was underway in July 2014, it was the most downloaded app in Israel. Users have the option of receiving alerts only about rocket attacks in their districts or nationwide.
According to some reports, the Israeli system operates more precisely than the Ukrainian system. However, the system delivered to Ukraine has been configured for broader coverage and will sound an alert in a general area where an approaching Russian missile is predicted to strike.
The Israeli ambassador’s acknowledgment is significant as the US has been pushing Israel to increase support for Kyiv. However, the delivery of the system is likely to antagonize Russia, which earlier warned Israel against supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Nonetheless, observers believe that it would allow Israel to assess the efficacy of the system against Iranian drones that are extensively deployed by Russia.
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari9555 (at) gmail.com
- Follow EurAsian Times on Google News
