Netherlands to provide Ukraine with materials for maintenance of F-16, air-to-air missiles
The Netherlands is going to provide equipment and materials for the maintenance of Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets, as well as air-to-air missiles, which the aircraft will be able to use to protect Ukrainian airspace, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said.
According to a message posted on the agency's website, at a meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine, which took place at Ramstein Air base in Germany, Brekelmans announced assistance to Ukraine.
“The F-16 aircraft need support materials and spare parts for maintenance, otherwise they cannot fly. The Netherlands will supply EUR 80 million worth of materials. Besides large quantities of spare parts, these include generators, small vehicles, essential maintenance materials, specialised tools, and stairs. With the air-to-air missiles, Ukraine can take down enemy aircraft,” the minister said.
For reasons of operational safety, the minister did not provide any specifics about the quantities or types involved.
Nor did he comment on the planned delivery time, but the intention is to have the materials reach Ukraine as soon as possible.
In addition, the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU) announced that it had exceeded the 1 billion pound mark of promised assistance to Ukraine earlier this week. The Netherlands is a partner in this fund, which is administered by the United Kingdom.
Before the summer, the Netherlands announced that it had contributed to the purchase of drones for Ukraine through the IFU, and to date the country has contributed EUR 125 million to the fund. All amounts mentioned are covered by the aid funds previously made available for Ukraine.
