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Latvia pledges new military aid package for Ukraine, including armored vehicles

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Latvia pledges new military aid package for Ukraine, including armored vehicles
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina with her Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 11, 2024. (Denys Shmyhal/Telegram)

Riga will give Ukraine a new aid package that will include armored personnel carriers, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Sept. 11.

His statement came after a meeting with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina, who arrived in Kyiv for the fourth summit of the Crimean Platform along with other foreign leaders.

Silina confirmed the upcoming delivery of the new aid package, but its value and the full list of arms it will contain were not disclosed.

The two leaders also discussed expanding cooperation between the countries' defense companies and all sectors "related to strengthening" Kyiv's and Riga's military, Shmyhal said.

Latvia, one of Ukraine’s biggest supporters, has committed to providing military support at the level of 0.25% of its GDP every year and will provide thousands of drones, Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.

Along with the U.K., Latvia is the leader of the drone coalition, an allied initiative established to supply Ukrainian forces with this crucial capability. Riga has pledged 112 million euros ($126 million) in military support to Ukraine this year and will help expand the initiative.

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Kateryna Denisova

News Editor

Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

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The project would involve Romanian investment in a local factory, likely in Brasov, where Ukrainian and Romanian teams would collaborate on manufacturing drones based on Ukrainian designs developed through wartime experience.

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