From Patriot to F-16: What aid Ukraine received from Netherlands and what else is planned

Archive photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mark Rutte (Getty Images)

The Netherlands actively participates in providing military assistance to Ukraine, and a certain portion of it is expected to be at the disposal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine this year.

Details about the assistance Ukraine has received from the Netherlands during the full-scale war and the equipment yet to be transferred can be found in the material by RBC-Ukraine.

Contents

・Weapon supplies

・Energy and humanitarian support

Weapon supplies

Just three days after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, the Netherlands sent a plane with military aid to Ukraine in the form of:

・50 Panzerfaust 3 anti-tank rocket launchers;

・400 grenades;

・200 Stinger portable anti-aircraft missile systems;

・100 sniper rifles;

・30,000 rounds of ammunition.

Later, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced the transfer of German self-propelled howitzers Panzerhaubitze 2000 to Kyiv. In the summer, it was decided in Amsterdam to send anti-ship cruise missiles Harpoon and YPR-765 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. The Ukrainian military also received AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery radar systems.

Towards the end of 2022, it became known that the Netherlands, together with the USA, decided to refurbish 90 Soviet-made T-72 tanks for the Ukrainian military.

In the spring of 2023, Oleksandr Pavlyuk, who at that time held the position of Deputy Minister of Defense, announced Ukraine's receipt of components for the Patriot surface-to-air missile system from the Netherlands, along with ammunition for them. Additionally, the Netherlands, in collaboration with Denmark, decided to purchase, upgrade, and transfer Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine.

By 2024, the Netherlands decided to order new self-propelled artillery units DITA and MP-2 anti-aircraft installations from a Czech manufacturer for Ukraine.

However, a significant event occurred in the summer of 2023 when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally visited the Netherlands and managed to negotiate the transfer of F-16 fighter jets. According to the latest information, this involves more than 20 aircraft. They are expected to be transferred this year, with deliveries planned to commence after the summer.

In March of this year, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte signed a bilateral security agreement between Kyiv and Amsterdam.

Energy and humanitarian support

It is worth noting that the Netherlands actively assists Ukraine not only in the military but also in non-military areas. In January of last year, amid Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities, the Netherlands aided Kyiv in repairing damaged equipment.

The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine reported that up to that point, the Netherlands had delivered over 35 such shipments, totaling hundreds of tons in weight. These included transformers, gas circuit breakers, grounding devices, disconnectors, surge limiters, and electrical cables.

Then, in April of this year, Amsterdam decided to allocate 400 million euros for Ukraine's recovery. However, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not clarify exactly what would be restored at that time. The Netherlands plans to provide long-term assistance to Ukraine, and in April, the government allocated an additional 4.4 billion euros for military and humanitarian support to Kyiv for the period 2024-2026.

Sources: statements from current officials of the Netherlands, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, the government of the Netherlands, and the Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Pavlyuk.