The 30th Ramstein meeting began in London: Ukraine will receive thousands of kamikaze drones and long-range unmanned aerial vehicles
Фото: Міноборони України
The 30th meeting of the Contact Group on Defense Issues for Ukraine in the “Ramstein” format has begun in London, where further military support for Ukraine is being discussed. The defense ministers of Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Germany agreed on the agenda and also announced large-scale programs for the supply of kamikaze drones and long-range unmanned aerial vehicles for the Ukrainian army.
This was announced by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal.
Shmyhal said that he had agreed on the agenda for the Ramstein meeting with his British and German counterparts, John Healy and Boris Pistorius. He thanked the allies for co-organizing the meeting and noted the importance of international support for Ukraine’s resilience in countering Russian aggression.
During the opening of the meeting, UK Defence Secretary John Healy said that over the next 12 months, the UK would fund the production and supply of thousands of long-range kamikaze strike drones to Ukraine.
“A secure Europe requires a strong Ukraine… And I say to Putin: we see your aggression, your new attacks. But you only strengthen our unity with the Ukrainians and our determination to move further and faster to support them,” the minister emphasized.
He recalled the previous 50-day support campaign, during which Britain provided Ukraine with almost 5 million rounds of ammunition, 60,000 artillery shells, 2,500 drones and 200 electronic warfare systems. Healy stressed that the promises made in the Ramstein format must be kept, and noted that more than £1 billion of confiscated Russian assets has already been directed towards the purchase of critical equipment for Ukraine.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced the launch of a new “deep strike” initiative and increased support for Ukraine in the purchase of long-range drones . As part of this program, Germany is concluding a number of contracts with Ukrainian companies for a total of 300 million euros. The contracts provide for the supply of several thousand drones of various types and have flexible options for increasing their number.
The meeting is being held in a hybrid format: the UK and German defense ministers, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal are present in London, with the rest of the participants joining online. The agenda includes strengthening Ukraine’s defense potential, accelerating arms supplies, and preparing for post-war peace.
Shmyhal noted that during the trip to London, negotiations with government officials of partner countries and private arms manufacturers for Ukraine are also planned.
It was previously reported that the thirtieth meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine in the “Ramstein” format will take place on Tuesday, September 9. The meeting will be held online and will be opened by the defense ministers of Great Britain, Germany, and Ukraine.
As a reminder, the 29th meeting in the Ramstein format took place in July . During the meeting, a new US and NATO initiative on armaments was announced, including the transfer of Patriot systems, hundreds of thousands of shells, drones, and billions in support for the defense-industrial complex.
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