Spain sends military equipment to Ukraine
Photo: ALEJANDRO MARTINEZ VELEZ, EUROPE (EUROPA PRESS)
Spain sent an air defense system, ammunition, and armored vehicles to Ukraine
The Ministry of Defense of Spain announced this, El Pais reports.
As noted in the publication, the cargo of military aid includes:
- about 20 armored vehicles,
- 75 pallets of ammunition for field artillery,
- a full battery of anti-aircraft defense.
Hoy, Día de la Independencia de Ucrania, se cumplen también 6 meses de la injusta e injustificada invasión rusa.El pueblo y el Gobierno ucraniano han mostrado resistencia y dignidad.España les seguirá apoyando en la defensa de su soberanía, libertad y paz.#UkraineIndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/jqNTNW4Mml
— José Manuel Albares (@jmalbares) August 24, 2022
Ukraine's ambassador to Spain, Serhii Pohoreltsev, complained that the last arms shipment from Spain was in May, and the government could not get everything they asked for.
"I cannot say that we are satisfied or getting everything Spain can provide," he lamented.
However, he thanked for the help already provided by the executive power.
These are 1,000 tons of diesel worth approximately 2.5 million euros, armored cars, and ammunition, which are already at the disposal of the Ukrainian authorities.
El Pais reports that, in addition to weapons, "on urgent request," a shipment of:
- 30 thousand units of military uniform for the winter,
- 15.6 thousand jackets,
- 15 thousand suits,
- several thousand units of additional clothing. Shipment is scheduled for September.
However, Ukrainian Ambassador to Spain Serhii Pohoreltsev noted that Kyiv was most interested in the supply of 155-mm howitzers and 122-mm mortars, which he has already informed the Spanish government about.
"The process is not easy, but we are working, and we are very grateful," he said.
Spain will also teach the Ukrainian military how to operate an anti-aircraft battery and conduct training for the personnel of the Ukrainian Air Force "in an ally country," the name of which was not specified by the Ministry of Defense.
In April, Spain announced the delivery of 200 tons of ammunition and other military aid to Ukraine.
On Independence Day of Ukraine, the United States announced an additional package of military aid for 2.98 billion dollars for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
According to the Pentagon, the new package includes:
- anti-aircraft missile systems NASAMS with additional ammunition for them,
- up to 245 thousand shells for 155-mm artillery ammunition,
- unmanned aerial systems Puma (UAS),
- support equipment for UAS Scan Eagle systems, etc.
