Spain, Belgium and Poland have begun supplying 20 mm ammunition, which plays a critical role in countering Russian jet-powered drones.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said this while speaking to journalists.
“Yesterday, we [together with Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara] spent the entire day working on the issue of 20 mm ammunition. And we succeeded. I believe we have secured a solution for this calibre for a significant period of time,” the minister said.
Sybiha described the issue of 20 mm ammunition as critical given Russia’s use of jet-powered drones and its new strikes.
“It was critically important to help our military shoot down these drones. Apart from air defence systems, which are very expensive to use constantly against drones, F-16 fighter jets are currently the most effective option. That is why we are now using them extensively. And this is where this calibre becomes important, because the relevant weapons and ammunition have proved highly effective,” the minister explained.
He thanked Spain, Belgium and Poland, which have already begun the transfer process, noting that Ukraine would receive the necessary ammunition “very soon.”
Kyiv is also looking for private manufacturers from which to purchase ammunition. In this context, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister expressed hope that one of the outcomes of an upcoming visit would be a package comprising several million rounds of this ammunition.
“In addition, we are now asking our partners to place orders for jet-powered interceptor drones. Our private manufacturers are ready to scale up production provided that funding arrives on time. We are working on this now. One option is for our partners to order their products directly from them. I am quite optimistic about this,” Sybiha added.
