Drones, armored personnel carrier, training: Ukrainian and Latvian delegations discuss progress in defense cooperation

Deputy Ministers of Defence of Ukraine, Valerii Churkin and Lieutenant General Mykola Shevtsov, held talks in Kyiv with a Latvian military delegation.

The Latvian delegation was led by Major General Andis Dilāns, Deputy State Secretary for Logistics and National Armaments Director at the Latvian Ministry of Defence.

Valerii Churkin expressed gratitude to the people and leadership of Latvia for their invaluable support, especially military aid, in the fight against russian aggression.

The parties discussed the key areas of current and future cooperation in the defense sector.

“We are highly interested in establishing joint companies, particularly those operating within Ukraine, for the production of weapons and equipment,” noted Valerii Churkin.

He highlighted Latvia’s leadership role in the Drone Coalition supporting Ukraine.

For his part, Mykola Shevtsov emphasized the critical role of FPV drones on the front lines and the necessity of them for the Ukrainian military.

He also noted that another key need for the Defence Forces remains the sourcing and supply of ammunition, including shells of various calibers.

Andis Dilāns confirmed his country’s interest in joint UAV production and emphasized that Ukraine’s experience in using various types of drones in combat is highly valuable for Latvia.

Additionally, he stated that Latvia is interested in continuing to test new drones at Ukrainian training grounds.

Furthermore, the delegations discussed plans to supply Ukraine with new foreign-made armored personnel carriers and to begin training Ukrainian military personnel on their use starting in June.

Special attention was also given to cooperation between private defense companies from both countries.