Spain will provide Ukraine with military equipment worth 1 billion euros by the end of the year, according to a bilateral agreement signed today by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
At a press conference in Madrid, where he arrived for a visit earlier today, Zelensky said that Russian forces have attacked Ukraine with about 3,200 guided aerial bombs this month. He noted that the Ukrainian military does not have enough anti-aircraft missiles to stop Russia.
The agreement refers to the supply of modern equipment for the land, air and naval forces, taking into account the “primary needs of Ukraine”. It also emphasizes the means to protect Ukrainian sea corridors for the export of food commodities.
Newspaper “Pais“ announced that Spain will commit to sending 12 missiles for the Patriot air defense system. and 19 tanks “Leopard“ 2A4 made in Germany, as well as other Spanish-made weapons such as anti-drone and ammunition.
The publication specifies that Ukraine will not receive launchers for the Patriot missiles, but only ammunition for them. Sanchez said it was not possible to send the launchers, but added that Spain was already providing missiles for them.
Spokesmen for the Prime Minister's Office and the Spanish Ministry of Defense declined to comment on Pais' announcement, Reuters notes. Madrid will also assist in increasing the production capacity of the Ukrainian military industry and explore the possibilities of joint production.
The two sides agreed to work to overcome bottlenecks in the supply of defense products and to prevent any further illicit distribution of military materials provided to Ukraine.
Zelensky told Reuters this month that Western allies were taking too long to make key decisions on military aid to Ukraine. He said he was pushing for the partners to get more directly involved in the war, helping intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine and allowing Kiev to use Western weapons against enemy military equipment massing on Russian territory near the border with Ukraine.< /p>