Germany bolsters Ukraine's defenses, delivers military helicopters in historic first

Ukraine is set to receive six multipurpose Sea King Mk41 helicopters, complete with accessory packages, spare parts, and training.

"Air defense remains a top priority in protecting Ukrainian citizens and infrastructure," emphasized Boris Pistorius on Tuesday.

Being a proven and reliable helicopter, the Sea King will enable Ukrainians to carry out various tasks, from surveillance operations over the Black Sea to soldier transportation. "This is the first German delivery of its kind," the German Defense Minister reiterated.

On Tuesday, Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin appealed to the Contact Group countries for Ukraine Defense to provide a larger quantity of missiles for Ukrainian air defense systems in light of Russian missile attacks.

"Putin hopes that with missiles and drones, he can demoralize Ukrainians and undermine the fighting spirit of the Ukrainian military. As such, I encourage this group to delve deeply into their resources and offer even more life-saving ground air defense systems and missiles to Ukraine," Austin stated at the beginning of a virtual meeting with about 50 defense department representatives.

This meeting, the first of its kind this year and the 18th overall since the group's inception at Ramstein Base in Germany in April 2022, saw the US Secretary of Defense participating from his home. He is currently recuperating from hospitalization following complications after prostate cancer surgery.