Spain will send 100 VAMTAC armored vehicles and a supply of 155-millimeter artillery ammunition to Ukraine’s State Border Guard, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles announced during a visit to Ukraine on April 22.<\/p>\n
“This collaboration serves as a testament to our country’s commitment to the defense of democratic values, to freedom, and to a just and lasting peace,” Robles said<\/a> in a press release from the Spanish Defense Ministry.<\/p>\n Robles arrived in Kyiv on April 22 to reaffirm her country’s continued support for Ukraine<\/a>. The minister met with President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss joint defense production and spoke with members of Ukraine’s State Border Guard.<\/p>\n During the visit, Robles announced that Spain<\/a> would send the Border Guard “a significant number” of armored tactical vehicles. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry confirmed that the Border Guard would receive 100 VAMTAC armored vehicles in 2026.<\/p>\n The first shipments are set to arrive in May. The deliveries will be supplemented with shipments of 155-millimeter artillery shells<\/a>.<\/p>\n VAMTAC off-road vehicles can travel long distances, change positions quickly, and reach speeds of 135 kilometers (83 miles) per hour, the ministry said<\/a>. Ukrainian forces use these vehicles to mount and operate Rapid Ranger air defense<\/a> missiles.<\/p>\n The Rapid Ranger is a mobile, laser-guided air defense<\/a> from the U.K., designed for rapid deployment and effective against low-flying threats, including drones and helicopters.<\/p>\n Spain, a NATO and EU member, has provided military, financial, and other support<\/a> to Kyiv since the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Aid has included Leopard 2A4 tanks and training for Ukrainian soldiers.<\/p>\n Last month, during Zelensky’s visit to the country on March 18, Spain announced a 1 billion euro ($1.2 billion) military aid package<\/a> for Ukraine for 2026.<\/p>\n