Umierov meets with Austin: they discussed arms and air defense supplies and development of Ukraine’s defense industry
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umierov met with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin in Washington, DC. They discussed, among other things, the need to supply Ukraine with additional air defense systems against the backdrop of Russian strikes on civilian and critical infrastructure.
This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Censor.NET informs.
On Friday, August 30, the Ukrainian delegation arrived in Washington, D.C., where it met with Pentagon Secretary Lloyd Austin.
According to Umierov, he briefed his American counterpart on the situation at the front and Ukraine's future goals. In turn, the Ukrainian generals spoke about the priority needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in weapons, equipment and training for our military.
"We discussed in detail the situation with the ongoing Russian shelling of civilian objects and critical infrastructure. Over the past four days alone, Russian invaders have attacked Ukraine with more than 400 different missiles and drones," the Defense Minister said.
According to Umierov, air defense remains a priority for Ukraine. He said that Ukraine needs air defense systems and missiles to protect critical infrastructure, cities and people.
The parties also discussed the development of the Ukrainian defense industry.
Umierov noted that over the past two years, hundreds of new enterprises have been launched that are capable of rapidly producing high-quality weapons.
"Cooperation with our partners is critical to expanding this production and ensuring even more effective defense of Ukraine," the minister emphasized.
He also thanked the United States for its leadership and support, and Austin for his personal contribution to the work of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
