Netherlands to supply advanced drones to Ukraine

The commitment follows decisions by the Netherlands to supply F-16 fighter jets, self-propelled artillery, ammunition and air defense systems to Kyiv.

Dutch Defense Minister Kasja Ollongren said in an interview with Reuters on Monday, two days before a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, that the Netherlands could have to pay more on top of the 2.2 billion euro aid package expected to be implemented in 2024.

“We understand that drones are of great importance in this fight. That is why we will join the consortium of drone suppliers that Ukraine has created together with Latvia, along with other countries, to ensure that this goal can be achieved – to increase production, to use the latest technology to provide what Ukraine needs.”

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced last month that Britain had joined the alliance.

Drones have become an extremely important part of both Ukraine and Russia's reconnaissance and target attack warfare strategies, thanks to their relatively low cost.

Both sides are leveraging thousands of cheap, small drones made for recreational use to carry out strikes and monitor the battlefield, while simultaneously bolstering their fleets with larger, longer-range drones capable of carrying more explosives or heavier cameras.

Both the Netherlands and Britain have pledged to help Ukraine bolster its drone fleet.

“The new detail is that we have decided to create this consortium,” Kasja Ollongren said in her office in The Hague. “So we have combined separate support decisions into a unified consortium that will be able to provide for Ukraine’s new needs, as soon as they report on developments in the war from the front lines.”

Ukraine's Minister of Digitalization Mykhailo Fedorov said the country intends to produce thousands of long-range drones capable of striking deep inside Russia by 2024, and 10 companies in the country have already started production.

By working together as a coalition, member states can react to Kyiv's tactical changes.

Ms Ollongren said the Netherlands would contribute high-tech expertise from the commercial sector, and declined to give further details on technical and financial issues.

Nguyen Quang Minh (according to Reuters)

Source