Four of Ukraine’s Western allies announced Thursday that they would join forces to supply “hundreds” of air defence missiles and launch systems to Kyiv as it fights Russia.
The declaration by the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States coincided with a meeting in Brussels of the US-led Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which includes 50 states that are military assisting Kyiv.
“Working with our international partners, we are able to provide vital air defence equipment, which will help Ukraine support offensive operations and protect critical national infrastructure,” said UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.
The fresh supplies will assist Kiev in defending against Russia’s “brazen missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities,” the four allies said in a joint statement.
“The initiative will deliver hundreds of short and medium range air defence missiles and associated systems required to protect Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure and further ensure the success of counter-offensive operations in the coming months,” they stated.
The equipment is being delivered and should be completed within a few weeks, according to the statement.
It said that the cargo is mostly made up of “Soviet-era missiles,” but did not clarify where they came from.
Ukraine has already received NATO-grade rocketry from its Western partners, notably Britain’s long-range Storm Shadow missiles.
