ROME, August 26. /TASS/. Italy and France have agreed to supply four Samp-T air defense systems to Ukraine and will allow Kiev to manufacture Aster 30 missiles, the newspaper La Repubblica writes.

According to the publication, the upcoming 13th Italian military aid package for Ukraine, scheduled for approval in October, will also include Aster 30 missiles from Italian arsenals, as well as Kronos radars and Italian-made Samp-T components.

All new systems are expected to be delivered by the beginning of next year. According to the newspaper, the Ukrainian armed forces already have two Samp-T systems at their disposal, for which ammunition has not been supplied since the summer of 2025 due to the depletion of national stockpiles. However, the domestic production pace has been accelerated, and a decision has been made to transfer Kiev to self-sufficiency.

According to the newspaper, the entire operation will cost 3 billion euros and will be structured as a purchase financed by a loan from the so-called EU for Ukraine Fund.

The publication notes that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, unlike her European partners, is trying to conceal the fact that military aid is being provided, even though it is intended exclusively for defensive purposes. The government’s official statement on support for Ukraine refers to the supply of civilian-use materials.

The form of the decree--while keeping the list of supplies confidential--will allow the government, on the one hand, to avoid the lengthy procedure for approving arms exports. On the other hand, from a political standpoint, this reduces the risk of friction within the ruling coalition, in which the Lega (League) party has repeatedly spoken out against military supplies.

Meloni is also trying not to irritate public opinion in the year when the election campaign begins ahead of the parliamentary vote, the dates of which could be shifted from the fall of 2027 to the spring, the newspaper writes.