German defence minister unveils new initiative to upgrade Ukraine's equipment
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has announced a new strand of military support for Ukraine focused on maintaining and upgrading Western-supplied military equipment.
Source: Pistorius at a press conference in Brussels following the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting (also known as the Ramstein format) on 15 October, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Pistorius has unveiled what he called a "modernisation initiative".
Quote: "Its aim is to increase the combat power and the service life of the land systems we already delivered to Ukraine. Major combat systems such as main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles are to be upgraded to comply with the latest standards. Those include new guns and innovative sensors."
More details: The minister explained that most of the work will be carried out at existing maintenance and repair facilities in Ukraine.
Quote: "Ukraine's defence industry will be, of course, involved in this. This will be an investment in the long-term buildup of Ukraine's Armed Forces, and this means it will last even after a potential ceasefire."
More details: During the briefing, Pistorius also urged partners to contribute to the strengthening of Ukraine's air defence within the coalition led by Germany under the Ramstein format.
Throughout the day, other partners have also announced new commitments to support Ukraine.
Background:
- Lithuania will allocate US$30 million for the purchase of weapons in the United States for Ukraine. Finland has said it is joining the initiative and will determine its specific contribution.
- The Netherlands will soon allocate a new €90 million aid package to support the production of drones in Ukraine.
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