Latvia to offer more Stinger air defense missiles to Ukraine.
According to eng.lsm.lv, Latvia could once again offer Ukraine Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems, Defense Minister Ināra Mūrniece told Latvian Television on January 10. The Minister stated that, in the second half of January, a conference on future military assistance to Ukraine will be held at the US Air Force Base in Ramstein, Germany. The list of military support from Latvia is already "in the pocket," said Mūrniece.
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Firing of a Raytheon FIM-92 Stinger anti-aircraft missile (Picture source: Raytheon Missile Systems)
"Actually, the Ukrainian front is our line of defense, so we are currently thinking about how to join the large flow of aid to Ukraine and how to support Ukraine, how to respond to the request of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy," said the minister. Mūrniece stated that Latvia is considering sending more weapons to Ukraine and training Ukrainian soldiers, eng.lsm.lv writes.
In connection with sending weapons to Ukraine, Mūrniece noted that Latvia is examining "what we can afford to give". At the same time, taking into account the assistance previously provided by Latvia to Ukraine, Latvia could once again offer Ukraine Stinger missiles. A day before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, Latvia delivered Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine in order to strengthen the air defense capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. So far, the military support provided by Latvia includes weapons, individual equipment, dry food rations, ammunition, anti-tank weapons, Stinger missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, self-propelled howitzers, helicopters, fuel and other goods. Latvia is among the leading donors to Ukraine when the relative size of the economy is taken into account.
The minister said that Ukraine also highly values the unmanned aerial vehicles or drones supplied by Latvia, therefore Latvia could continue their supply as well.
"Together with our neighboring countries, we are thinking about acquiring anti-aircraft defense systems. Our neighbors have started thinking about it earlier, I believe that this matter should be accelerated in Latvia as well," said the minister.
