UK Defense Secretary Healey: We take our hats off to Ukraine

UK Defense Secretary John Healey, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rüstem Umerov held a joint press conference following the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting held in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.

UK Defense Secretary Healey stated that cities are being hit, homes are being destroyed, and civilians are being killed in Ukraine, saying, "Ukraine, the US, and everyone here are calling for a ceasefire. We all want peace. Putin is continuing the war. That is why the work of the Contact Group is becoming even more important. We must increase our efforts and never back down."

"WE HAVE DELIVERED 10 THOUSAND DRONES TO UKRAINE"

Discussing the UK's military support for Ukraine, Healey said, "Last year, we delivered 10,000 drones to Ukraine. This year, we will increase that number tenfold. Last year, we trained Ukrainian forces in the UK. This year, we will train them both in our country and abroad, and we will increase the budget we allocate for this training by 20 percent, raising it to approximately 250 million pounds."

Healey stated that they have made commitments worth billions of euros as part of the support provided to Ukraine today, adding, "Our message to Russia is this: Ukraine is strong, it has many friends, and its friends stand by it."

Responding to a question about Operation Spider Web, in which Ukraine carried out attacks on Russian airbases on June 1 using drones hidden in trucks, Healey said, "We take our hats off to Ukraine for Operation Spider Web. This operation reminds us that Ukraine can inflict serious damage on the Russian army, how active Ukraine is in this war, and its determination to win. And we, as countries standing by Ukraine, are determined to provide support in every way we can."

"YOU HAVE SHOWN THAT YOU CAN NEUTRALIZE WEAPONS"

German Defense Minister Pistorius congratulated his Ukrainian counterpart for Operation Spider Web, in which Ukraine carried out drone attacks on Russian airbases last Sunday. Pistorius said, "Just this past weekend, you showed that you can use drones to neutralize weapons that could be used against you."

Emphasizing that Germany decided last week to provide funding for the supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine, Pistorius announced that Germany would also strengthen Ukraine's air defense capacity by providing additional weapon systems and ammunition.

"IT CHANGED THE BATTLEFIELD"

Ukrainian Defense Minister Umerov stated that the Ukraine Defense Contact Group sent an important message to the free world, which supports Ukraine's struggle for a just and lasting peace. Umerov said, "Our partners asked me whether Ukrainian companies could establish factories in their own countries to produce high-tech products. Ukraine's military needs are the most important element for us. I always emphasize this specifically in my meetings with our partners. Our partners announced that they are ready to finance the entire production in these factories and provide additional funds for this purpose."

Stating that they agreed on sending products manufactured abroad under a Ukrainian license to Ukraine as long as the war continues, Umerov said, "We look forward to evaluating the proposals. It does not have a finalized name yet, but for now, we call this initiative the 'Ramstein Industrial Investment Initiative.' We will produce drones, missiles, ammunition, and other weapons together. Ukraine's unmanned aerial vehicles have changed the battlefield. Now, they will also change the way Ramstein countries prepare for future threats."

Emphasizing that thanks to this initiative, Ukrainian companies will gain access to funds and technologies in Europe, Umerov said that all weapons produced will also be delivered to Ukraine.

"WE PRODUCE 10 MILLION DRONES ANNUALLY"

Responding to a question about reports that China has sharply reduced the export of drone parts to Europe and Ukraine and what the impact of this situation is on the front line, Umerov said, "We produce about ten million unmanned aerial vehicles annually. The cost of this is 11 billion dollars. We can invest up to 5 billion dollars, but there is a 6 billion dollar deficit. I also addressed this issue at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting."

Umerov stated, "We have the production capacity for FPV drones, but we are experiencing funding difficulties. Regarding the Chinese-made Mavic drones, there were some reports that these vehicles were being directed to Russia instead of Ukraine, and we experienced problems with our purchases through different channels and countries. We tried to procure these drones from all countries that are members of the Contact Group and launched a program to produce them locally. We reached this goal within a few months. We had supply problems for a while once the redirection started, but we now have a Ukrainian-made product, and we are closing the gap this way."