Ukraine expects major air defense boost at anniversary Defense Contact Group
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Ukraine expects to secure a significant boost in its air defense capabilities at the milestone Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting to protect its skies from Russian attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy said the upcoming week is expected to be very active. Ukraine is preparing for the anniversary session of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and has ambitious plans.
"We are also working to ensure new contributions from partners to the PURL program. This program is very important. Through it, we purchase American weapons, and there is already over $2 billion invested. We will continue to increase this funding," he said.
Zelenskyy also emphasized that strengthening Ukraine's air defense remains a top priority in cooperation with partners. More capabilities are needed to defend against Russian missiles and Shahed drones.
"Today, Russian strike drones were once again in our skies, and our air defense worked. There were attacks during the day on Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and other cities and communities. This Russian threat is daily. That means we must strengthen Ukraine every day," the Ukrainian president concluded.
Earlier, Germany's Ministry of Defense said that the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will take place on September 9 in London. The British Defense Minister confirmed this during a visit to Kyiv.
The last Ukraine Defense Contact Group session took place on July 21. At the time, Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Denys Shmyhal, said the country needs $6 billion to close this year's procurement gap.
What is the Ukraine Defense Contact Group
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group brings together more than 50 countries to coordinate support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.
The United States initiated the platform, and the first session was held on April 26, 2022, at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany. The format is named after this location.
Within this platform, a series of decisions were made to supply Ukraine with modern Western weaponry. Thanks to agreements among the Ukraine Defense Contact Group participants, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have received HIMARS systems, Patriot air defense systems, Leopard 2 and Abrams tanks, and other military equipment.
