Netherlands to supply 200 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine

By Abdullah Asiran

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AA) - The Netherlands on Saturday said it will send 200 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine to help the country “better defend itself against Russia.”

The decision was taken following a request by Kyiv and the weapons will be delivered “as soon as possible,” according to a statement by the Dutch Defense Ministry.

Other equipment previously pledged by the Netherlands, including weapons, radars, and helmets, has been dispatched to Ukraine, the statement said.

A separate Foreign Ministry statement said the Dutch diplomatic mission in Lviv, western Ukraine, is also being closed due to the deteriorating security situation.

The Netherlands had earlier moved its diplomatic staff from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to Lviv.

However, it is “no longer possible” for Dutch diplomats to remain in Ukraine and they will leave for Poland, where they will continue their work, the statement said.

Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine entered its third day on Saturday, with the latest reports indicating clashes between Russian and Ukrainian troops in Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the military intervention Thursday, days after recognizing two separatist-held enclaves in eastern Ukraine.

He claimed that Moscow had no plan to occupy its western neighbor, but wanted to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Moscow of trying to install a puppet government, vowing that Ukrainians will defend their country against Russian aggression.