Ukrainian Minister of Defence Yevhenii Khmara held a telephone conversation with Romania's new Minister of Defence, Ștefan-Radu Oprea, and congratulated him on his appointment.
The two ministers discussed security in the Black Sea, supplies of ammunition for F-16 fighter jets and air defence systems, as well as opportunities for joint drone production.
Yevhenii Khmara thanked Romania for its assistance to Ukraine, particularly the logistical support provided through Romanian territory. In this context, the ministers discussed Russian attacks on ports and vessels in the Black Sea, the risks these pose to both countries and ways to counter them.
Another important topic was the supply of ammunition for F-16 fighter jets to effectively counter jet-powered drones.
The Ukrainian Minister of Defence also expressed his gratitude to Romania for training Ukrainian pilots at its F-16 training centre.
"This support is important for Ukraine. The more trained pilots we have, the more aircraft we can deploy to protect Ukrainian airspace, including intercepting jet-powered drones," said Yevhenii Khmara, the Minister of Defence of Ukraine
The ministers also discussed Ukraine's need for Patriot interceptor missiles to counter ballistic threats.
"Russia is intensifying its missile attacks, and ballistic missiles remain one of the main threats. That is why we need Patriot missiles so that our systems can protect people, civilian facilities and critical infrastructure. In addition, Ukraine needs ammunition to counter cruise missiles, specifically missiles for HAWK air defence systems and AIM-9 missiles ," said Yevhenii Khmara, the Minister of Defence of Ukraine
Another area of cooperation is the joint production of drones under the European SAFE programme.
"Ukraine has technologies and experience that can benefit our partners, and we are ready to develop mutually beneficial cooperation."
