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Mitchell van de Klundert
news editor
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Mitchell van de Klundert
news editor
The Department of Defense has a list published with weapon systems and other equipment donated by the Netherlands to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. “This provides insight for the first time into the breadth, diversity and size of Dutch military support,” writes Defense.
The list includes many cases that were previously announced by the ministry, although more precise numbers have now been announced. For example, the Netherlands bought 45 T-72 tanks for Ukraine and donated 196 of its own YPR armored tracked vehicles.
Not everything that the Netherlands has promised or has already delivered to Ukraine has been made public. It is clear, however, that the donated equipment has a total value of 1.2 billion euros.
It is striking that, according to the list, a total of six vessels will be sent to Ukraine. Two ships were already known, they are mine hunters of the Alkmaar class. The four other vessels are unknown and will not be disclosed for “operational reasons”, a Navy spokesperson says News hour.
Landing craft or motorboat
According to Defense specialist Peter Wijninga, these four vessels may be Rhib motorboats or LCU landing craft. “Those landing craft are being replaced in the Netherlands, so we may be giving them away now. Such a craft is intended to land soldiers in an area that you want to conquer. In an offensive scenario, this is an important means, especially in the delta of the Dnieper River,” says Wijninga.
Former Commander of the Army Mart de Kruif thinks it is more likely that the Netherlands sent four Rhib motorboats. “You may not want to disclose that for operational reasons, because with those boats special forces get to a place quickly.”
Also new is that the Netherlands has supplied a total of one hundred MR-2 mobile AA guns. This is probably the ZPU, an old Soviet weapon that the Netherlands did not own, but purchased in other countries. “There is no radar with this weapon, so you have to pump a lot of lead into the air to hit something,” says De Kruif.
The list also states that the Netherlands has supplied “other missiles”. According to Wijninga, these are probably rockets that were used for NASAMS anti-aircraft systems. These are missiles that the Netherlands previously had hanging under the F-16 fighter planes, and have also used for their own NASAMS systems, but are now being replaced by newer versions.
“If you add up everything on this list, you see that the Netherlands has sent an incredible amount of equipment to Ukraine,” says De Kruif. “It’s mostly stuff that we’ve replaced by now. The most valuable on the battlefield really are the two Patriot anti-aircraft systems and the eight armored howitzers.”
Minister Ollongren of Defense writes in a letter to parliament today that the cabinet is taking into account that the war in Ukraine could last for a long time. “The Netherlands is therefore determined to continue to support Ukraine militarily and politically to defend itself against Russian aggression.”
