Updated

Ukraine and the Netherlands are developing two air defense projects, FREYJA and Bliksem, to intercept ballistic missiles. Davyd Aloian, Deputy Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, told Ukrinform in an exclusive comment at the European Defense Innovation Forum in The Hague that FREYJA is expected to deliver first results as early as next year, while Bliksem will take longer. Testing using simulation is scheduled to begin toward the end of this year, and Aloian said he expects a system capable of intercepting ballistic threats in the first half of next year. Aloian said Ukraine is working with partners within a coalition initiated by the President of Ukraine to strengthen air defenses, and that other initiatives aim to counter aerial threats and reduce dependence on a single source of weapons. He said U.S.-made Patriot systems are highly effective but their large-scale use is limited by production capacity, citing Russian attacks on Kyiv that can involve around 40 ballistic missiles. Aloian also named countering Russian jet-powered drones as a priority, with Ukraine upgrading its interceptor drones, and called on partners to expand joint production already underway in the Netherlands.