Belgium To Supply Ukraine With Underwater Drones, Mobile Laboratories - Defense Minister

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2022) The Belgian Council of Ministers on Friday approved a new military aid package to Ukraine, which includes ten unmanned underwater vehicles manufactured by ECA Robotics Belgium and two mobile laboratories, Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder said.

"These drones allow for the detection of all underwater threats: both mines and spy equipment. These are new high technologies that will be of great help to them. The Belgian army already has these machines," Dedonder said in an interview with the LeSoir newspaper.

Moreover, Belgium will provide the Ukrainian military with mobile laboratories, which can be "deployed near a site of a chemical, bacteriological, radiological, or nuclear incident." The minister added that these laboratories could also be useful in disaster areas where hospitals and birthing centers have been destroyed.

The Belgian military and manufacturers will train Ukrainian soldiers how to handle the new equipment, Dedonder said, adding that some 100 Belgian military instructors will join the Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) to train Ukrainian troops.

Since Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24, Western countries have been providing Kiev with humanitarian, military and financial aid. Moscow has denounced the flow of weapons to Ukraine from its Western allies, saying it adds fuel to the fire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia.

Belgium's military aid to Ukraine has amounted to some 76 million Euros ($79 million).