Belgium to send 240 military trucks to Ukraine
Belgium’s Ministry of Defence is planning to hand 240 military trucks over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Source: European Pravda, citing De Standaard, a Belgian news outlet
Details: The first batch of 240 Volvo Cargo, Volvo Shelter, Volvo Fassi and Volvo Manumat trucks will be sent to Ukraine as early as next week.
The Belgian army owns a total of 400 Volvo trucks, some of which are covered or have a crane, and some of which are tow trucks. While Belgium is expecting shipments of new vehicles throughout this year, the majority of the old ones will be sent to Ukraine instead of being gradually phased out and decommissioned.
"There is often a focus on arms supply, but Ukrainian units also eagerly anticipate the arrival of these trucks. Logistics is at least as important as weapons during conflict," the Belgian Defence Ministry said.
The trucks have been in service since the early 1990s. A few months ago, Belgium initiated extensive inspection and repairs. The Ministry of Defence is convinced that the 240 trucks that are now being sent to the Ukrainian army are in good condition. All the manuals and spare parts that were still in stock are also included in the shipment.
The Defence Ministry has denied the idea that the Belgian army was sending its "old junk" to Ukraine.
"Thorough consultations are taking place in the Ukraine Defence Contact Group. Nothing is supplied to Ukrainians that they have not requested and needed," the Defence Ministry said.
Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder said that Belgium assesses Ukraine’s every request in terms of the Defence Ministry and industry capabilities.
"During the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group on Wednesday [15 March 2023 - ed.] I confirmed that our country is giving all the support it can and will continue to do so," she noted.
Dedonder added that 100 Belgian military instructors will join efforts to train Ukrainian soldiers.
As for the military trucks, Volvo’s main advantage is the simplicity of its controls. The Ukrainians do not need additional training to be able to use and service the Belgian trucks.
Background: Since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine, the Belgian treasury has frozen €58 billion worth of Russian assets, the highest amount of any EU Member State.
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