US, Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands will strengthen Ukraine's air defense

The UK government reported the information.

The ministries of defense of Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK and the US have announced today that they are working together to deliver high-priority air defense equipment to Ukraine, addressing its most pressing air defense needs.

"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 coming months," the statement said.

The government added that the supply of equipment has already begun and should be completed within a few weeks.

The initiative was announced before the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) in the Ramstein format on June 15 in Brussels.

Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin stated after the meeting that air defense systems were a key focus. He emphasized their importance due to Russia's ongoing missile and drone attacks, which have resulted in civilian casualties. Austin mentioned that the UK, Denmark, and the Netherlands were intensifying their support by supplying weapons and ammunition for air defense systems. The objective is to ensure the sustained assistance to Ukraine in addressing its pressing requirements. Austin affirmed the commitment to providing long-term assistance as well.

• The day before, a new package of military assistance for Ukraine's air defense was announced at a meeting of the defense ministers of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), which includes the UK, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.