Ukraine and Slovenia discuss strengthening air defence and technological cooperation
Ukraine's Minister of Defence Evgeniy Khmara met with Slovenia's Minister of Defence Valentin Hajdinjak. The two sides discussed the situation on the battlefield, the needs of Ukraine's Defence Forces, and prospects for joint projects.
The Ukrainian side briefed the Slovenian delegation in detail on the operations of the Defence Forces of Ukraine and current threats from russia.
Strengthening air defence
One of the key challenges remains the intensification of russian strikes on civilian targets using ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones.
Ukraine is developing its own asymmetric responses and technological solutions to counter these threats. At the same time, additional funding and deliveries of air defence systems remain critical.
Ukraine’s defence industry has the capacity to increase production of the necessary systems severalfold, provided partners offer additional financial support.
In this context, the two sides discussed steps to seize the initiative on the battlefield, including the development of middle-strike and deep-strike capabilities.
Joint projects with Ukraine’s defence industry
Evgeniy Khmara presented the Slovenian side with specific areas for mutually beneficial defence cooperation.
These include establishing joint ventures, implementing the Drone Deal, testing solutions under real combat conditions, and sharing Ukraine’s experience in adapting to modern warfare.
Cooperation in the cognitive domain
The two sides paid particular attention to cooperation in the cognitive domain. Ukraine’s Minister of Defence stressed that russia is intensifying its information and psychological operations against Ukraine and European countries. Countering these threats requires coordinated action by partners.
Evgeniy Khmara thanked Slovenia for its support for Ukraine, including contributions to the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism, as well as for its readiness to further deepen the defence partnership.
