Italy will deliver the SAMP/T air defense system to Ukraine by the end of September

Italy will deliver the SAMP/T air defense system to Ukraine by the end of September — its transfer was previously announced in June this year.

This was reported by Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto during a speech at the "European Trade in Air and Missile Defense" conference, RAI News reports.

The Italian minister said his country understands "how much every minute of delay costs".

Italy will allocate SAMP/T to Ukraine as part of the ninth defense package, which the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy Antonio Tajani spoke about earlier in the context of " strengthening air defense ".

• The SAMP/T ground-based anti-aircraft missile complex is designed for anti-aircraft protection of mechanized units and anti-aircraft cover of important stationary objects. This air defense system is capable of shooting down aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles. Ukraine received the first such system in 2023 from France and Italy.