JERUSALEM— Ukrainian journalist Rostyslav Demchuk has created false news that Ukraine’s armed forces will be equipped with a Gabriel V sea-skimming land-to-sea missile system provided by Estonia. This is the Gabriel V rocket, which is better known as the Blue Spear.

Rostyslav Demchuk’s fake report cites information earlier in May from the Israeli online portal Ha’aretz that the Israeli government was inclined to provide weapons systems to Ukrainian forces. BulgarianMilitary.com reminded us that so far Israel has supported Ukraine by sending helmets and body armor.

The Estonian Ministry of Defense, as well as the Israeli Ministry of Defense, have officially denied the Ukrainian journalist’s claim. First, Estonia denied that it intended to provide Gabriel V to Ukraine and therefore did not address any inquiries to Israel, and second, Israel denied that it had received an inquiry from Estonia and had given permission to grant Gabriel V to Ukraine.

Israel is trying to balance its relations between Kyiv and Moscow. A statement from the Israeli Ministry of Defense added that other Israeli aid would be more symbolic and “exclude significant supplies due to aid already provided by the United States and European countries.”

Gabriel V or Blue Spear

Gabriel V is an extremely precise, combat-ready, and highly effective anti-ship missile system developed by Israel Aerospace Industries [IAI]. This type of missile can be launched from land and sea launch platforms.

Gabriel V is the latest version of the proven Gabriel over the years, which was designed in the 70s and since then there are five versions – each one better and more efficient. Gabriel V weighs 1,250 kg and is 5.5 meters long. Gabriel V has an increased operational range of 400 km.

The rocket was created in 2020. Its warhead employs an active radar-homing seeker, accurate INS-based navigation capabilities, beyond-line-of-sight [BLOS] capability, and a robust system that is immune to GPS disruptions and maximum accuracy target acquisition. The system is equipped with a variety of deception means to achieve its mission and cope with the different battle-field challenges.