Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren and Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Yurii Dzhyhyr visited the positions of the Khortytsia group of forces and the combat units of Ukraine's Armed Forces in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine's Defense Ministry's press service reported on March 21.
This is the second visit by a high-ranking Dutch official to Ukrainian regions close to the front this spring, as Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte came on March 1 to Kharkiv to sign a 10-year agreement on security cooperation between Ukraine and the Netherlands.
Before the visit to Ukraine, Ollongren announced the procurement of 150 million euros ($164 million) worth of munitions for Ukraine's incoming F-16 jets. Later on, the Dutch defense minister met President Volodymyr Zelensky on March 20 and discussed further military assistance for Ukraine.
While Ollongren was visiting military training units in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, she met the commanders and listened to their reports on the current situation on the contact line.
"While at a military maintenance facility in the Dnipro region, I saw how donated military equipment is maintained. It requires technical ingenuity and more spare parts. Here, I once again saw Ukraine's tremendous resilience," Ollongren wrote on X.
Elsa Court
Dzhyhyr thanked the Dutch defense minister for visiting Ukrainian troops, stressing that it is a testament to unity between Ukraine and the Netherlands in resisting Russia.
During the visit to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ollongren also came to Dnipro and laid flowers at the monument of fallen soldiers and spoke with the emergency services about the consequences of the latest Russian attacks on the city.
Russian forces regularly attack Dnipropetrovsk Oblast due to its proximity to the front line.
The local military administration reported on March 20 that over the past day, one person was wounded as Russia attacked the Nikopol district, damaging a shop and industrial and municipal enterprises.
Russian troops also launched drones at Dnipro overnight on Feb. 23, killing one civilian, injuring eight, and causing damage to a nine-story apartment building.
Andrii Kharuk
(Updated: )
