Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk, First Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, met with Finland’s Minister of Defence, Antti Häkkänen. The officials discussed Ukraine’s defence needs and key areas of collaboration.

Ukraine’s delegation in the talks with foreign partners also included Deputy Defence Ministers Sergiy Boyev and Valerii Churkin.

In the opening of the meeting, Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk expressed appreciation to the people and government of Finland for the EU’s enduring support in Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression. The First Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine also briefed the Finnish partners on the current situation on the battlefield and the primary needs of the Defence Forces of Ukraine.

Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk stated that despite international sanctions, the enemy continues to ramp up production of long-range weapons, utilizing electronic components of foreign origin. He stressed that the Russian Federation is escalating the production of ballistic missiles, which can only be countered by modern air and missile defence systems. The First Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine pointed out that strengthening air defence capabilities continues to be a top priority for Ukraine.

“Supporting and enhancing Ukraine’s air defense capabilities is of paramount importance to us. The enemy frequently conducts missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, destroying infrastructure,” said Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk.

The Ukrainian side also briefed the partners on its experience with the deployment of unmanned and robotic systems on the battlefield. Officials from Finland and Ukraine discussed potential opportunities for cooperation in developing and producing innovative weaponry.

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