Latvia to send more Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine

Latvian Defense Minister Inara Murniece said her country was going to once again offer Ukraine American-made Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems, and could announce it during the upcoming Ramstein summit on Jan. 20, Latvian Public Media reported on Jan. 10.

"The front line in Ukraine is actually our own line of defense," she said.

Murniece also said Latvia will continue sending weapons to Ukraine and training Ukrainian soldiers, according to the report.

"When I meet with Ukrainian colleagues, they thank us more than anything for the Stingers we sent to Ukraine before the start of the (full-scale) war," she said.

Earlier the same day, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that Latvia has sent 10 buses from Riga to Kyiv. The buses will contain some humanitarian aid for Ukraine “collected by the residents of Latvia,” Klitschko added.

In December, the Latvian government agreed to allocate nearly 560,000 euros ($593,292) to purchase generators for Ukrainian state media.

Ramstein summits are held to coordinate efforts to provide military aid to Ukraine. They were named after the Ramstein Air Base, where the first summit was held in April 2022.