Cyprus has taken delivery of an Israeli air defence system, local media reported on Thursday, as the east Mediterranean island taps new markets to upgrade its defence capabilities after the loss of key supplier Russia.
Cyprus has taken delivery of an Israeli air defence system, local media reported on Thursday, as the east Mediterranean island taps new markets to upgrade its defence capabilities after the loss of key supplier Russia.
TV station Sigma said the first deliveries were made on Tuesday. Cypriot officials declined to comment on the specifics of the report.
"The only thing I can say is we will, and are doing everything necessary to bolster the deterrence force of Cyprus, not only because we are a country under occupation, but an EU member state in a region of particular geo-strategic importance," Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides told reporters on Thursday.
Cyprus was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974, with the internationally recognised government controlling the south, and a breakaway heavily militarised Turkish Cypriot state the north.
The Barak MX anti-aircraft system will complement and eventually replace the older Russian made Tor M1. Russia has been a leading supplier of military hardware to Cyprus for decades, but deals tapered off even before a blanket ban on exports in the wake of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Those sanctions have left Cyprus's existing defence systems short of spare parts and they cannot be upgraded, a senior Cypriot source told Reuters.
"That is why Cyprus is turning to other countries of the European Union, as well as Israel. As part of that, efforts are underway to upgrade our anti-aircraft umbrella," the source said.
Cypriot officials never openly disclose procurement programmes because of ongoing tensions with Turkey.
An attempt by Cyprus to upgrade its anti-aircraft umbrella in 1998 with surface to air S-300 missiles from Russia culminated in a military standoff with Turkey, and Nicosia hurriedly diverting the system to Crete.
That acquisition was not supported by either Britain or the U.S. at the time, though relations with Washington have improved markedly in recent years as Cyprus has anchored its policy firmly to the west.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he will “most likely” hold bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump during next month’s...
Russia has called for clarification on whether U.S. President Donald Trump has changed his position on the war in Ukraine following remarks made at th...
The European Union and Taliban officials held talks in Brussels on Tuesday on consular services and the situation of Afghans whose asylum applications...
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks, as...
Iran is preparing for a week-long farewell to former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, who was killed in February during Israeli-U.S. air r...
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks, as the top U.S. diplomat tours the Middle East to win over allies sceptical about a proposed deal.
Israel and Lebanon are discussing a U.S.-backed proposal that would see Israeli forces withdraw from parts of southern Lebanon and transfer control of those areas to the Lebanese army, according to officials from both sides.
Oman has announced measures to keep vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz, confirming it will maintain free passage and impose no tolls as efforts continue to restore navigation through the strategic waterway.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 24 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited by the TASS news agency. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks, as the top U.S. diplomat tours the Middle East to win over allies sceptical about a proposed deal.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections into "infinity, despite Tehran's denials, and that unfrozen Iranian assets would be used to buy humanitarian supplies from the United States.
Authorities in France are reporting that about 20 people have died over the weekend while swimming in unsupervised areas of rivers, lakes and coastal waters as they tried to escape the heatwave.
Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surpassed 1,000, with health officials warning that the outbreak is spreading rapidly through displacement camps and across borders.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he will “most likely” hold bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump during next month’s NATO summit in Ankara, where the American leader is expected to attend.
Russia has called for clarification on whether U.S. President Donald Trump has changed his position on the war in Ukraine following remarks made at the recent G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains.
The European Union and Taliban officials held talks in Brussels on Tuesday on consular services and the situation of Afghans whose asylum applications have been rejected in Europe.
China’s anti-corruption authorities have launched an investigation into Bian Zhigang, a senior defence and space official, over suspected serious violations of discipline and law, officials said on Wednesday.
Alibaba, one of the world's largest technology and e-commerce companies, has sued the U.S. Pentagon after being added to a blacklist of firms it claims support China's military, escalating a dispute with potentially significant consequences for the company.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment