First 60 Vehicles Delivered to National Guard of Ukraine: Netherlands-Funded, EUAM-Implemented
September 20, 2024
Today, EUAM Ukraine handed over 60 soft-skin vehicles to the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU). These vehicles will support NGU units conducting stability policing in liberated and adjacent territories in the Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv regions. The handover will enable the NGU to carry out its duties and help restore the rule of law and public trust.
“As long as Ukrainian communities in these territories lack a sense of safety and security, we cannot really say that they have been fully restored to dignity,” noted Esselien van Eerten, Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine. “With these sixty vehicles we are handing over to the NGU today, we will contribute to the efforts of our Ukrainian partners to restore safety and security and social cohesion”.
This marks the first handover within a project aimed at strengthening the operational capabilities of Ukraine’s civilian security sector. The goal is to stabilise liberated and adjacent areas and ensure their full reintegration into Ukrainian society.
“The project, with a budget of 8 million euros, is funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. I would like to express my gratitude to the Government of the Netherlands for this generous donation and their enduring commitment to supporting Ukraine and EUAM,” said Maura O’Sullivan, the EUAM Acting Head of Mission. “I would also like to thank our partners in the NGU. The commitment they have shown to our partnership strengthens our shared mission and motivates us to deepen our cooperation,” she added.
The Deputy Commander of the National Guard, General Volodymyr Hordiychuk, thanked the partners for their support. “These vehicles will significantly enhance the capabilities of the National Guard. On behalf of the National Guard Command, I would like to express my gratitude to the European Union Advisory Mission, as well as to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, for the assistance provided,” he stated.
This project represents the largest external donation received by EUAM to date. It forms part of the Mission’s new “train and equip” approach, which combines strategic advice on Civilian Security Sector Reform with capacity building and the provision of essential equipment, enabling Ukraine’s law enforcement agencies to fulfil their functions more effectively.
