Recently, news broke that Finland had refused to provide Ukraine with missiles for the Patriot air defense system. However, despite the widespread coverage of this story, one important detail is often overlooked: Finland does not have the Patriot air defense system in its arsenal.
This story typically cites remarks made by the country's Minister of Defense, Antti Häkkänen, in an interview with Ilta-Sanomat. However, that article makes no mention of any refusal, but simply notes the rather unsurprising fact that the country does not operate these air defense systems.
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The country's Minister of Defense noted that the best way to address Ukraine's shortage of interceptor missiles at this time would be to end hostilities in the Middle East. He added that the development of the U.S. defense industry—which is growing faster than its European counterpart and could help fill the gap—is also important.
Häkkänen also stated that Finland has capabilities regarding certain anti-aircraft missiles but will not disclose the details of its support for Ukraine. According to him, Finland has provided Ukraine with substantial support, but as a country bordering russia, it cannot risk compromising the readiness of its own air defense forces.
From Defense Express we would like to note that this is likely the source of the phrase "refuse to supply missiles due to self-interest," which has been widely circulated in the Ukrainian media. However, as we can see, this phrase could not possibly apply to the Patriot system, since Finland does not operate it.
It is worth noting that Finland is participating in the PURL initiative, under which it, along with other partners, is contributing to the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine. This includes interceptors for the Patriot system.
Currently, Finland uses tactical aircraft, the medium-range NASAMS II air defense system, the short-range Crotale NG system, and the ASRAD-R system—which is based on the RBS MANPADS—to defend its airspace. It also has Stinger MANPADS in service.
None of the systems mentioned earlier are capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, so Finland ordered the Israeli David's Sling air defense system in 2023, which has the necessary capabilities. Based on publicly available information, it can be concluded that this system has not yet been delivered to Finland, and even if it had been, Israel maintains its position of not allowing the transfer of its weapons to Ukraine.
It is worth noting that details of Finnish military aid to Ukraine are not usually made public, so information about the delivery of specific weapons and equipment often comes from photos and videos. Therefore, air defense systems may have been provided to Ukraine without being publicly disclosed.
This is particularly true of Soviet-made equipment, such as the Buk-M1 air defense missile system and Igla MANPADS. We can also mention the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns, the Finnish variant of which was spotted in service with the Defense Forces of Ukraine as early as 2022.
It is also possible that Western systems have been supplied, including AIM-120 missiles for NASAMS and fighter jets, RBS 70 and its missiles, Stinger MANPADS, and other equipment. However, it is currently impossible to verify whether any such transfers have taken place due to the lack of relevant public information.
In other words, Finland has already helped strengthen Ukraine's air defense capabilities and may continue to do so if the opportunity arises. However, when it comes to Patriot air defense systems, Finland can only provide assistance through funding programs, as it does not have any Patriot missiles of its own.
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