Portugal will send six Kamov firefighting helicopters to Ukraine, which are currently not licensed to operate because they are of Russian origin and one of which is not working, Defense Minister Helena Carreiras announced on Thursday.
“At the request of Ukraine and in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, we will make our fleet of Kamov helicopters available to Ukraine, which we can no longer operate due to the current scenario, the sanctions imposed on Russia, in their don’t have their certificate of airworthiness and we can’t even fix them”Helena Carreiras announced.
Speaking in Brussels, at the end of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defense ministers’ meeting discussing the war in Ukraine, the official pointed out that “six helicopters in need of repair, one of which is not working because was injured”.
Helena Carreiras stressed that these six Kamov helicopters, which “will be handed over as is”, will be “very useful for Ukraine and this concession was much appreciated by our Ukrainian colleagues”.
“Ukrainians know the conditions in which the material is found”told the defense minister the “logistical chain of similar helicopters” in Ukraine’s possession, which will be able to repair them.
The idea is to make the transfer of aircraft happen “as quickly as possible”, according to Helena Carreiras.
At this meeting, the Allies also agreed to maintain military support for Ukraine.
“The countries have shown in an absolutely clear way that they intend to continue to support Ukraine and therefore there is a great harmony of positions between the Allies,” the Portuguese minister in charge noted.
In the case of Portugal, the country has already mobilized individual equipment, weapons, ammunition, armored vehicles, a communications system and drones, health and medical equipment for Ukraine, and has also expressed its willingness to receive refugees and wounded combatants, as well as train Ukrainian soldiers.
This two-day meeting, which took place at a time of escalating tensions in Ukraine due to new Russian threats and announcements, also highlighted the importance of replenishing ammunition ‘stocks’, which are in short supply in all countries.
“That’s why we’ve also talked here about joint procurement initiatives aimed precisely at recovering the necessary levels of ammunition from the so-called war reserves, to cope with the situation that we are experiencing, which is in fact a war situation, a situation that all to strengthen our capabilities and our defenses,” said Helena Carreiras.
Government emphasizes NATO’s “steadfast stance” in the face of nuclear threats
The government on Thursday emphasized its “firm stance” within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the face of Russian nuclear threats, defending the protection of critical infrastructure, such as maritime communications and energy supply lines.
“Obviously there is one position that is firm, it cannot be another. The nuclear threat is one that must be taken seriously and on the NATO side, of course, there is the perspective that we should change our defensive and deterrent stance. to deal with this threat”declared the Minister of Defence, Helena Carreiras.
The governor pointed out that this “a concern of all Allies, especially to base and focus their efforts on strengthening protection, because in fact it is deterrence and deterrence reinforcement that will help to confront the nuclear threat”.
NATO defense ministers met in Brussels to strengthen support for Ukraine in the face of Russian threats, while also discussing the protection of critical infrastructure such as European gas pipelines.
Helena Carreiras defended the “defense and protection of critical infrastructure”mainly “lines of maritime communication and power supply lines, infrastructure to be protected and defended against threats, now very specifically identified as coming from Russia, but not only”.
In Portugal, according to the official, “there is a very wide range of critical infrastructures, which are not necessarily defense related”that is why the executive is planning to strengthen its oversight and oversight.
“From a defense point of view, we are concerned about the intensification of surveillance, namely of submarine cables, for example, and of other infrastructures, but this is the work we need to deepen, strengthen what the existing plans are to monitor these infrastructures and better protect […] of the various branches of the armed forces”Helena Carreiras mentioned.
In recent days, there have been targeted Russian attacks on the Zaporijia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, the largest in Europe, after Putin announced a partial mobilization of 300,000 Russian reservists.
As early as Monday, dozens of people have been killed or injured in bombings provoked by Russian forces in several Ukrainian regions, notably in the vicinity of Kiev.
This was the first time the Ukrainian capital had been bombed since last June, following the start of the war triggered by the Russian invasion in February this year.
Helena Carreiras, who has already been questioned about Ukraine’s possible accession to the Atlantic Alliance, believed that the time is not to discuss “this possible decision”, but to “help Ukraine on the ground and provide this support” .
Still, “I found great coherence of views here in terms of welcoming the Alliance’s open door policy,” the minister concluded.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24 caused the flight of millions of people and the deaths of thousands of civilians, according to the United Nations, which considers this refugee crisis to be the worst in Europe since World War II (1939). .-1945).
Source: DN
