The Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, stated that Ukraine is receiving both Patriot air defense systems from the Netherlands and significant support in the field of drone technologies.
He said this during a joint press conference with Dutch Minister of Defense Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius in The Hague.
“Compared to the level and quality of support from your country globally and among European countries in general, it is a very high level of support… We see this because we are receiving both Patriot systems, contributions to the PURL programme in recent years, and the Netherlands has supported a very effective programme in the drone sector,” he said.
Fedorov also thanked the Netherlands for the additional funding announced for air defense systems. He stressed that Russia is increasingly compensating for its failures on the battlefield with massive missile strikes on civilian targets in Ukraine.
According to him, Putin is unable to achieve his goals on the battlefield, so he attacks Ukrainian cities with ballistic and cruise missiles. Recent strikes have damaged residential buildings, infrastructure facilities, and the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.
He said that additional investments in air defense primarily mean saving the lives of Ukrainian citizens.
“I would like to thank you once again. This contribution is about saving Ukrainian lives. It is an opportunity to repel Putin’s fire… I would also like to thank you for the announcement of support for drones produced in your country, for joint production that is taking place today. I want to return once again to quality. These are not drones whose effectiveness we do not know or cannot predict. We clearly know which products are effective and which work today for our victory. These are, among other things, what our President calls long-range sanctions that will strike our enemy. So once again I want to thank you for this support,” he said.
The minister also welcomed the signing of a memorandum of cooperation in the field of innovation between Ukraine and the Netherlands.
He said that during the visit, the Ukrainian delegation familiarized itself with the work of one of the leading Dutch innovation centers.
“What we are working on together today is changing the situation on the battlefield,” he said.
He stressed that the Netherlands demonstrates a high level and quality of assistance and helps Ukraine fight for freedom.
“At every level of communication with your country, we see a focus on results, and we have plans—ambitious plans—on how to achieve more. Thank you for your support,” he said.
According to him, Ukraine is ready not only to receive support but also to share its own experience and developments in the field of unmanned systems and the development of modern security systems.
