Photo: Getty images
Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov met with representatives of the US defence giant Raytheon, during which he raised the issue of the immediate need for additional air defence systems and missiles, he said on his Facebook page.
“I had a meaningful conversation with Joe Deanton, Vice President of Ground and Air Defence Systems. The main topic was strengthening the protection of Ukrainian skies,” the minister wrote.
Umerov’s key statements:
- Air defence is a national priority: it is about protecting lives, critical infrastructure, cities and villages.
- Ukraine’s readiness to invest in air defence development, modernisation of systems and acceleration of deliveries.
- Expanding cooperation with the United States is part of Ukraine’s strategic course.
- Deepening cooperation with Raytheon is critical to ensuring effective maintenance and support of equipment.
Umerov also thanked the Raytheon team for the professional dialogue and real proposals to strengthen Ukraine’s defence capabilities.
Raytheon is one of the key suppliers of Patriot air defence systems that are already protecting Ukrainian cities. Deepening cooperation could speed up the localisation of maintenance and technology transfer, which is especially important in the face of daily missile attacks from Russia.
