Ukrainian military equipment will be repaired in Slovakia

Ukrainian military equipment will be repaired and upgraded in Slovakia. The State Joint Stock Company Konstrukta-Defence has already signed the contract.

This was stated by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of the Slovak Republic, Martina Koval Kakaschikova, TASR reports.

"We can confirm that the State Joint Stock Company Konstrukta-Defence has signed a contract for the repair and modernization of Ukrainian military equipment. The first order includes dozens of BRDM-2 armoured vehicles," the spokesperson said.

Government officials, whether Prime Minister Eduard Heger or Defence Minister Jaroslav Nagy (both OĽANO), have repeatedly stated their determination to continue supporting Ukraine in the form of humanitarian and military aid.

Last year, the head of the Ministry of Defence said that the plant had already prepared everything for the repair and modernization of several dozen pieces of equipment for Ukraine

Nagy noted that the repairs and modernisation are provided for in the contract, which was drawn up with Ukraine's wishes in mind.

Ukraine and Slovakia have signed a contract for the supply of eight Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzers, Nagy said.

Slovak President Zuzana Chaputova promises to facilitate Ukraine's accession to the European Union. She will discuss this with European leaders.

"Ukraine will prosper again, just as flowers are blooming among the destroyed houses in Borodyanka or Bucha today," Chaputova said.

The president says that Slovakia's determination to help Ukraine has only increased.

She recalled the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and drew analogies with current events in Ukraine.

"It was then that the tanks came to destroy our efforts to simplify and democratize the totalitarian regime. Even then, the entire civilised world condemned this invasion, but it did too little to change anything. Today, Ukrainians are defending not only their freedom, but also the law and rules that have guaranteed peace for our continent. I am helping them not to make the same mistake that the world made in 1968," Chaputova said.

At the same time, the Slovak government decided on May 30 to transfer eight Zuzana 2 self-propelled artillery units to Ukraine. The military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is already preparing.

The Zuzana 2 self-propelled artillery system is an upgrade of the previous 155 mm Zuzana version. The Slovak Army purchased 25 artillery units in 2018, but they replaced the previous generation in July 2021.