Spain to provide Ukraine $490 million in military aid, Zelensky says
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Following a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Nov. 5 that Madrid will deliver a 437 million euro ($490 million) military aid package to Ukraine.
"Throughout this war, Spain has consistently provided us with assistance and support," Zelensky said. "And there is a new package of military aid worth 437 million euros from Spain. Thank you!"
Attending the 30th Ibero-American Summit, Zelensky met with top officials from Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations in Europe and the Americas.
The funds will help bolster Ukrainian air defenses as Russian strikes pummel Ukrainian transportation and energy infrastructure, Zelensky said.
Expressing solidarity with Spain following a deadly train accident that killed 69 people on Oct. 28, Zelensky reflected on the human costs of Russian attacks on Ukraine.
On Oct. 29, Russian forces struck a train platform at Dnipro railway station, killing at least 15 people and wounding at least 14 more, authorities said. A passenger train was preparing to depart the platform for Zaporizhzhia when the station was attacked by a Russian jet-powered drone, Ukrainian Railways wrote on social media.
More than 500 locomotives have been either "completely destroyed" or damaged by Russian attacks throughout the full-scale war, more than half of which occurred since the start of this year, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Sept. 15.
"This year, Russia has damaged more of our locomotives than in all the previous years of this war," Zelensky said.
With a shortage of air defense systems and lagging deliveries of Patriot missile resupply, Russian attacks have wrought severe power and water shortages in recent weeks.
"Our power grid and water supply are under constant attack," Zelensky said. "The situation is difficult, especially in Kyiv, and every step of humanitarian support is very important."
Earlier this year, the Spanish government pledged to provide Ukraine with five Patriot PAC-2 missiles. Kyiv said it needs about 300 Patriot missiles to fend off the expected Russian ballistic missile attacks in the coming winter.
