Belgium will deliver 240 military trucks to Ukraine. The first will be sent next week, including the Volvo Cargo, Volvo Shelter, Volvo Fassi, and Volvo Manumat models. The entire Volvo truck
family belongs to the Belgian army, with a total of 400 units. These are cargo models, models with tents or cranes, and even some evacuators. Instead of simply getting rid of the trucks - new ground vehicles will be delivered from this year onwards - now a large part of them will be sent to Ukraine. The trucks have been in use since the early 1990s. Therefore, a major operation to check and reconstruct them began several months ago. The Ministry of Defense is convinced that the 240 vehicles now being sent to the Ukrainian army are in good working condition. Also included are all the instructions and spare parts that were still in stock.
Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder (PS) says that every Ukrainian request is checked for its feasibility in defense and the Belgian industry. "I reiterated on Wednesday in the Contact Group on Ukraine's defense that our country provides all possible support and will continue to do so," she noted.
A big advantage of Volvo is that the mechanics are relatively simple. Thus, Ukrainians do not need any additional training to start working or providing technical maintenance themselves. The phased withdrawal of the khaki-colored trucks had been planned for a long time, as new ground vehicles had been ordered several years ago. "We fully support this decision. The focus is often on weapons deliveries, but Ukrainian units are also eagerly awaiting these trucks. During a conflict, logistics is no less important than weapons," the Ministry of Defense's materials service said in a statement.
Ukrainian activist Daria Kaleniuk, who heads the anti-corruption center in Ukraine financed by the US and Europe, is one of the main lobbyists for F-16 deliveries. "We need these planes to win the war with Russia. And we will win it," she told De Standaard. Kaleniuk calls on Belgium to support Ukraine's request. "Belgium has not yet advanced as far in the transition to the F-35 as other countries. I understand that you no longer have F-16s left. But Belgium can play a leading role in the F-16 coalition. With your experience, Belgium can become a center for training Ukrainian pilots and servicing planes. The more countries are willing to take such a step, the more chances the US will give the green light to deliveries," she said. "Currently, this does not apply to Belgium. If there is an F-16 coalition, our country can see if it can play a role in it. Photo by Alf van Beem, Wikimedia commons.