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COPENHAGEN, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Denmark plans to buy European-made air defence systems for 58 billion Danish crowns ($9.11 billion), its largest arms purchase ever, the country's defence minister said on Friday, citing a challenging security situation. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in February ordered the military to "buy buy buy" equipment in preparation for potential future Russian aggression in Europe. Denmark plans to procure eight systems, including the long-range SAMP/T platform produced by Eurosam, a consortium of MBDA France, MBDA Italy and Thales, as well as medium-range systems manufactured by Norway, Germany or France. "There is no doubt that...

Ukraine expects to receive around 1.8 million artillery shells by the end of the year as part of the Czech ammunition initiative. The statement was made by Ukraine`s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha during a joint press conference in Kyiv with his Czech counterpart Jan Lipavský, Ukrinform correspondent reported on August 12. “Czechia is making practical contributions to our shared security and defense. Thanks to the Czech ammunition initiative launched in 2024, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are to receive about 1.8 million artillery shells by the end of this year,” Sybiha stated.

Germany's largest arms manufacturer has inaugurated its latest munitions factory, to focus on the 155 mm artillery shells critical to supplying Ukraine. Rheinmetall's stock soared amid Europe's military spending spree. ================================================================ The Rheinmetall arms manufacturer opened a new factory at its existing site in Unterlüss in northern Germany on Wednesday, boasting that once it reaches capacity it could become Europe's biggest munitions production factility. CEO Armin Papperger said that the production of 155 mm caliber artillery shells would be progressively ramped up, to reach 350,000 units per year by 2027. These artillery shells are in particular demand and short supply...

Donald Trump, the US president, is preparing “shock and awe” sanctions on Russian exports, a senior Republican has said. Senator Jim Risch, the chairman of the powerful Senate foreign relations committee, said Mr Trump would make good on his pledge to impose crippling economic penalties on Moscow’s trading partners by Aug 8. The US president this week shortened his deadline for hitting Russia with the most severe sanctions on its oil experts to date, giving Vladimir Putin 10 days to reach a deal to end the war in Ukraine. “When and if secondary sanctions hit, it’s going to be shock...

Sending Ukraine offensive weapons could push Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, retired Adm. James Stavridis, the former NATO supreme allied commander, said on Monday. Speaking ahead of the announcement of the U.S.-NATO weapons deal for Ukraine, Stavridis said he was hoping the deal would “move beyond strictly defensive weapons, such as the Patriot missiles, which are the air defense systems that the Ukrainians desperately need.” “What I would like to see is a provision for the United States to send more harpoon missiles to go after the Black Sea fleet, more HIMARS, surface-to-surface weapons that can reach...

Donald Trump issued an ominous warning to Vladimir Putin after a maternity ward was struck by drones in Ukraine. The US president responded to news that drones had damaged a maternity hospital in Kharkiv, as he said: “I know. You'll be seeing things happen.” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that among the nine wounded in Kharkiv were women in the hospital - “mothers with newborns, women recovering from surgery.” He said: “Russia is targeting life itself – even in the very places where it begins.” It comes ahead of Trump’s “major statement” on Monday for Russia as he grows frustrated...

US President Donald Trump has said he will send weapons, including Patriot air defence systems, to Ukraine via Nato. Trump told NBC News that in a new deal, "we're going to be sending Patriots to Nato, and then Nato will distribute that", adding that Nato would pay for the weapons. His announcement came after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of having a "positive dialogue" with Trump about ensuring that arms arrived on time. He said he had asked for 10 Patriot systems after a surge in Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in the past week. Patriot batteries...

President Trump said Friday he plans to make a “major statement” on Russia early next week — as the Senate considers legislation to force his hand on sanctions after months of threats from the commander-in-chief. “I think I’ll have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday,” Trump told NBC News in a phone interview Thursday. “You’ll be seeing things happen,” Trump told a reporter Friday morning on the White House lawn when asked about an overnight Russian drone attack that damaged a maternity hospital in Ukraine’s second city of Kharkiv.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. will have to send more weapons to Ukraine, just days after ordering a pause in critical weapons deliveries to Kyiv. The comments by Trump appeared to be an abrupt change in posture after the Pentagon announced last week that it would hold back delivering to Ukraine some air defense missiles, precision-guided artillery and other weapons because of what U.S. officials said were concerns that stockpiles have declined too much. “We have to,” Trump said. ”They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now. We’re going...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a basically upbeat assessment of Ukraine’s long-awaited “counteroffensive” against invading Russian forces but conceded “nobody knows” if there will be a major breakthrough this year in an interview with CNN on Tuesday. Zelensky added that he thinks “we will have more success” in the coming year, following a slower-than-expected start for the big counteroffensive. As in several other recent interviews, he disputed criticism that Ukraine’s push has deteriorated into a stalemate, pointing to gains made by his forces in the east of the country.