The leadership of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and representatives of the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom held a series of meetings as part of the visit of the British delegation to Kyiv. They discussed further defense cooperation.

The meetings took place with the participation of the First Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk, Deputy Ministers of Defense Oleksandr Serhiy, Stanislav Haider and Kateryna Chernohorenko. The British delegation was led by Assistant Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Defense, Major General Adrian Riley, and Director of the Department of Engagement and Use of Strategic Capabilities of the Ministry of Defense, Major General Anna-Lee Riley.

The parties discussed the supply, joint production and repair of weapons and military equipment, the development of capability coalitions, the reform and digitalization of the defense sector management system, and the future model for the development of Ukraine's Armed Forces.

"We express our gratitude to the government and the people of the United Kingdom for the comprehensive assistance provided to Ukraine in the fight against russian aggression," said Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk.

The Ukrainian delegation informed their counterparts on the current situation on the battlefield and the urgent needs of the Defense Forces, emphasizing the need for additional air defense systems, shells and long-range weapons.

"russia continues to use large numbers of missiles and guided aerial bombs. Strengthening the air defense of Ukraine is a priority. To protect our cities and limit the heavy activity of enemy aircraft at the front, we require more air defense systems. Every day, more than a hundred guided aerial bombs are dropped by russian terrorists on the positions of our troops and on the frontline towns and villages. The more effective means of attack, projectiles, and equipment there will be in the arsenal of the Defense Forces, the more opportunities to quickly reduce the offensive capabilities of the russian army we will have," said Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk.

During the discussion with the British delegation, Deputy Minister of Defense Oleksandr Serhiy underlined the necessity of strengthening military-technical cooperation with allies and supporting the development of Ukraine's defense sector.

" Establishing joint ventures with foreign companies for the production and repair of weapons and equipment is critical for responding quickly to today's problems in meeting the needs of the Armed Forces. In addition, it will give an impetus to the development of the capabilities of domestic enterprises and will reduce the costs of expensive logistics," Oleksandr Serhiy noted.

Deputy Minister of Defense Stanislav Haider emphasized the importance of institutionalizing and managing coalitions of capabilities, stressing that such coalitions should become key platforms for defining needs and identifying support.

"Coalitions should be a key platform where our needs in specific areas are clearly defined and substantiated through consultations with partners. Such work initiates a process of identification of support, resulting in concrete commitments and promises that are voiced directly at Rammstein meetings. Then Rammstein format becomes a key platform for recording results and providing general political messages at a high level," Stanislav Haider noted.

He also emphasized the significance of developing mechanisms for the supply and procurement of international military aid.

Kateryna Chernohorenko informed the British side about the vision of digitalization of the Armed Forces.

"We want to design our products with the military in mind, enabling it to benefit from digital solutions and advantage on the battlefield through situational awareness and the capacity to make data-driven decisions," said the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine.

She also shared the experience of implementing electronic services in the military sphere, in particular regarding the successful launch of the Reserve+ application and talked about the next step - the introduction of a multifunctional application for the military called Army+.

"It is important for us not to create a system for the sake of the system itself, we make a system for the benefit of the client," Kateryna Chernogorenko concluded.

For its part, the British delegation confirmed its steadfast and long-term support for Ukraine.