Ukrainian paratroopers received 11 MLS Shield armored vehicles
Eleven Italian MLS Shield armored vehicles were sent to the soldiers of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces.
The vehicles for the military were purchased by volunteers of the NGO ‘Sprava Hromad’. The NGO together with the Poroshenko Foundation made the largest contributions to the project “I bought an armored vehicle for the Armed Forces of Ukraine”.
In addition, they also sent the Leyland DAF trucks and Mitsubishi SUVs for the military on the front lines.
“Finally, after receiving all the necessary export licenses for crossing the EU border, all 11 armored vehicles arrived in Ukraine and will go to the Air Assault Forces to help prepare a counter-offensive,” says Poroshenko.
Petro Poroshenko also noted that there are many battalions that do not have the necessary armored personnel carriers.
“Now a large number of rifle battalions have been formed. They are armed only with light small arms, and it depends on you and me that there are armored personnel carriers, drones, operational-scale unmanned aerial vehicles, BMPs, trucks. This is why we conclude contracts abroad,” Poroshenko said.
The Italian armored vehicles will be received by the Brigade of the Air Assault Forces, which is already at the forefront of the counteroffensive.
MLS Shield armored vehicles manufactured by Mobile Land Systems (UAE-Italy) are a special version of a patrol armored vehicle with STANAG Level 1 or 2 protection, depending on the version.
Volunteers of the NGO ‘Sprava Hromad’ also said that they had to take out a loan to buy MLS Shield armored vehicles.
In addition to armored vehicles, two hundred trucks and several hundred UAVs were also bought for the Armed Forces of Ukraine — for a total of millions of euros.
He also informed that there are agreements for the purchase of tracked armored vehicles that are already signed.
“We have concluded contracts on armored tracked vehicles, which will also receive licenses, and we will deliver them,” Petro Poroshenko announced.