Defense first drew on its “meager” available stocks by delivering 5,000 FNC automatic rifles to the Ukrainian armed forces – weapons manufactured by FN Herstal and being replaced within the Belgian army by FN SCARs -, 200 LAW (“Light Anti-Tank Weapon”) M72 anti-tank weapons, night vision systems as well as 3,800 tons of fuel and protective equipment.
Mrs Dedonder underlined, during an interview granted to the Belga agency before this meeting convened by the United States at the Brussels headquarters of NATO, that it was increasingly difficult for her to find equipment to send to Ukraine due to stock depletion.
“We continue to analyze” what could be provided, she added, however.
Defense also tried – but without success – to recover M109 howitzers with a 155 mm gun that it had sold to a private company in 2015. But the Ukrainian government bought them directly through the company OIP .
The ministry also contacted the Belgian industry through the BSDI (“Belgian Security and Defense Industry”) to see what these companies had in stock in order to respond to requests – often changing – from the Ukrainian authorities, explained the minister .