MOSCOW, January 16 Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds said in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday that work is underway to create a coalition of almost 20 countries to arm Ukraine with drones.
“We are currently at the point where we have almost 20 partners,” Sprudes noted. According to him, the primary goal is to transfer as many drones as possible to Ukraine.
Earlier, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal stated that the production of unmanned aerial vehicles in the country has increased a hundred times in 2023, more than two hundred companies have begun developing drones.
Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Alexander Bornyakov previously said that Kyiv is developing a whole range of new drones and robotic weapons. The General Staff of the Ukrainian troops reported that the country should have its own “drone army” in order to “close” the 2,470-kilometer front line.
Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin called its goal “the protection of people who have been subjected to abuse and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.” He noted that the special operation was a forced measure; Russia “was left no chance to do otherwise; security risks were created such that it was impossible to respond by other means.” According to him, Russia has been trying for 30 years to come to an agreement with NATO on the principles of security in Europe, but in response it has been faced with either cynical deception and lies, or attempts at pressure and blackmail, while the alliance, meanwhile, despite Moscow’s protests, is steadily expanding and approaching borders of the Russian Federation.