Ukraine requests Patriot missiles from South Korea — newspaper

SEOUL, August 24. /TASS/. Vladimir Zelensky’s senior advisor on strategy, Alexander Kamyshin, visited South Korea in July to request the supply of interceptor missiles for the US-made Patriot air defense systems, but Kiev’s request was turned down, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported, citing sources. The request in question was denied on August 10. "Ukraine, which has been facing shortages of air defense weapons… was reported to have requested South Korea’s support for the latest Patriot interceptor missiles through diplomatic and security channels. South Korean authorities reportedly expressed reluctance, citing reasons such as preparing for contingencies on the Korean Peninsula," the newspaper wrote. According to Chosun Ilbo, "Alexander Kamyshin, a senior advisor on strategy to Vladimir Zelensky, visited South Korea in early July and met with officials from the Ministry of National Defense and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. During the meeting, Kamyshin reportedly asked for support for the PAC-3, the latest variant of the US-made interceptor missiles possessed by South Korea." According to the newspaper, the government "reportedly reviewed internal options, including supporting the domestically produced Cheongung-II surface-to-air missile instead of the Patriot. However, it is widely believed that securing additional production volumes is difficult due to existing export contracts with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)." On August 8, Vladimir Zelensky publicly urged South Korea to supply air defense systems. The Chosun Ilbo newspaper called this move "raising the stakes" in the negotiations. On August 10, a high-ranking representative of South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that South Korea remained committed to its policy of not supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine. Seoul has provided financial assistance and supplied non-lethal military items, such as helmets, to Ukraine, but not weapons or ammunition.