EU eyes expiring air defence missiles for Ukraine

The European Union is calling on member states to consider transferring air defence missiles to Ukraine before their storage life expires, as Kyiv continues to face an urgent need for additional air defence capabilities.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas made the remarks upon arriving in Ireland for an informal meeting of EU defence ministers, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Kallas said that Ukraine’s main problem was air defence missiles and noted that some EU countries still had missiles whose storage life was nearing expiration. She said it would be very helpful if those countries transferred the missiles to Ukraine.

The appeal comes as the EU seeks to identify additional stocks of military equipment that could be made available to Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.

Kallas also said that €6.6 billion has remained blocked in the European Peace Facility since 2023 due to disagreements among EU member states. The deadlock has prevented Brussels from releasing the funds for Ukraine, she said.

By Vafa Guliyeva