The Netherlands has sent €987 million in military aid to Ukraine, including high-tech systems that can be used to counter air attacks, Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren wrote in a letter to the second chamber.
The official said the package of aid includes anti-aircraft missile systems that were delivered in April, with armoured Howitzers following shortly after.
Ollongren said in total the country had sent €697 million in equipment, €120 million in military aid, €45 million for commercially acquired goods, and a contribution of €100 million for the International Fund for Ukraine.
The country’s top defense official also pledged funding for a field hospital which the Netherlands, together with Estonia and Norway, will be donating to Ukraine. The field hospital, for which the Dutch will contribute €3.5 million, will include an intensive care unit and operating room.
The Netherlands has also made some €20 million in emergency humanitarian aid available, with a further €10 million for Moldova, aimed at helping the country deal with the flow of refugees escaping the war.
“Ukraine is not alone in this struggle. The Netherlands will continue supporting Ukraine so that Russia’s aggression can be brought to a halt and peace can return,” Ollongren said in the letter.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has indicated recently that Russia appears to be slowing its military operation to regroup and launch new attacks when the weather warms.
Air attacks by both sides have been increasing, making detection of air threats critical for Ukrainian forces. Russia bought large numbers of attack drones from Iran over the summer which are wreaking havoc on Ukraine’s cities and infrastructure.