NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he is “confident” that Ukraine is prepared to retake more territory amid preparations for an expected counteroffensive against Russian forces as Kyiv’s international supporters gather in Germany to discuss beefing up weapons deliveries for Ukraine.
“I’m confident that they will now be in a position to be able to liberate even more land,” Stoltenberg told journalists on April 21 on the sidelines of the meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
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One of the main issues during the meeting has been accounting for “all the different capabilities, systems, supplies that the Ukrainians need to be able to retake more land,” said Stoltenberg.
The NATO chief noted that Germany and the United States have delivered multiple Patriot air-defense batteries, which he said are “operational in Ukraine.” He declined to provide other details or the exact number of Patriot systems that have been delivered.
Stoltenberg earlier reaffirmed the alliance’s support for Ukraine’s eventual membership, and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reassured Kyiv of the allies’ support “for as long as it takes.”
Stoltenberg added that the alliance’s current focus is to ensure Ukraine prevails against Russia’s unprovoked invasion, and once the war ends, that Kyiv has “the deterrence to prevent new attacks.”
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein consists of representatives from some 50 countries that are providing military aid to Ukraine.
Stoltenberg said the allies were to discuss the possibility of providing various types of aircraft during the meeting, while Austin said the talks will focus on air defense and ammunition for Ukraine.
“Our support for the forces of freedom in Ukraine holds strong and true,” Austin told participants.
IN PHOTOS: With nearly 70 percent of Irpin destroyed during Russia’s brutal invasion and occupation, the commuter city, which lies adjacent to Kyiv, is slowly coming back to life as its community rebuilds.
Irpin, Ukraine’s ‘Hero City,’ Rebuilds After Liberation
With nearly 70 percent of Irpin destroyed during Russia’s brutal invasion and occupation, the commuter city, which lies adjacent to Kyiv, is slowly coming back to life as its community rebuilds.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, who is also attending the meeting, met with Austin ahead of the talks.
“Over the past year, members of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group have provided tremendous capabilities to Ukraine. We will support them for as long as it takes,” Austin tweeted after meeting with Reznikov.
The meeting came a day after Stoltenberg visited Kyiv and told Ukrainians their country’s future belongs in the alliance, but stopped short of offering a clear timeline.
At the meeting, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand announced a fresh military aid package for Ukraine worth $28.8 million. Anand said the aid includes the allocation of funds for 3.3 million liters of fuel, modular floating bridges, first-aid kits, 40 50-caliber sniper rifles, ammunition, and new radio equipment for Leopard 2 tanks donated by Canada.
On the battlefield, Russia pressed its offensive in the eastern city of Bakhmut despite suffering heavy losses, the Ukrainian military said on April 21, while Kyiv and Poltava regions sustained more drone attacks that caused damage to infrastructure.
Ukrainian air defense detected and shot down eight Iranian-made Shahed drones above Kyiv overnight, the capital’s military administration said early on April 21.
“After a 25-day lull, the capital of Ukraine suffered another air attack from the enemy…. About eight enemy drones were detected and shot down,” Serhiy Popko, the head of the Kyiv military administration, said on Telegram, adding that according to initial reports there were no casualties or major damage.
In the eastern region of Poltava, a Russian drone attack damaged civilian infrastructure, Dmytro Lunin, the region’s military governor, said on Telegram.
“There is destruction of civilian infrastructure. Rescuers are working to control the fire. Preliminarily, there are no victims,” Lunin said.
In the eastern region of Donetsk, fighting raged on the Bakhmut-Avdiyivka-Maryinka front, which Russian forces have been unsuccessfully attempting to break through for several months, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its daily bulletin.
“The enemy, at the cost of heavy losses, continues to concentrate its main efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka directions,” the military said, adding that the fiercest battle continues to be fought for Bakhmut.
Over the past day, more than 60 enemy attacks were repulsed by Ukrainian defenders, it said.
Meanwhile, the United States said it will begin training Ukrainian forces on how to use and maintain Abrams tanks in the coming weeks, as it continues to speed up its effort to get them onto the battlefield.
According to U.S. officials, 31 tanks will arrive in Germany at the end of May, and Ukrainian forces will begin training a couple of weeks later.
