03:39Mandatory credit: DVIDS
The United States Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin claimed that Ukraine's drones are very effective and cheaper than the Western missiles and that it is going to be Kiev's call on how to use them, while talking at a presser in Brussels on Friday.
"The UAV's have proven to be very effective and accurate. When you consider the fact that one precision guided missile costs, in some cases, close to $1 million – depending on what it is – and these UAVs they can produce in great numbers at a fraction of the cost so when you look at the balance sheet and the effects that are being created on the battlefield, I think this is a great capability. How they use the capability that they're producing is going to be their call," said Austin.
Austin also denied that Washington might have warned Kiev not to strike deep into the territory of the Russian Federation.
"We've seen Ukrainians use their long-range UAV strike capability to great effect. We saw recently that they were able to take out a number of strategic-level ammunition supply points, which has had an impact on the battlefield. I think what's important to point out here, Andre, is that they're able to produce these UAVs in Ukraine," replied Austin.
US Secretary of Defence also refused to comment on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's 'Victory Plan,' stating that it was not his position to publicly evaluate the plan.
"Our focus is going to continue to be on doing everything that we can to support the 'Victory Plan.' It's to support President Zelensky. It's not my position to evaluate publicly his plan. We have been supporting him by providing security assistance in a major way for over two and a half years. We're going to continue to do that," he explained before listing a series of coalitions involving in helping Ukraine.
When asked about nuclear threats previously made by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Austin criticised them, saying: "I think any kind of nuclear sabre-rattling is reckless and dangerous and we would call upon Putin and others to not employ that kind of language."
Lloyd Austin is expected to travel to Italy next for the first-ever G7 Defence Ministers meeting on Saturday where he will meet with Italian Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto and the new Minister of Defense of Japan, Nakatani Gen.
The discussions at the summit as expected to be centred around security assistance for Ukraine, deescalating tensions in the Middle East and discussing support for various partners around the world including in the Indo-Pacific region and Africa.
'They're able to produce these UAVs in Ukraine' - DefSec Austin claims Kiev doesn't need US missiles to strike Russia
The United States Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin claimed that Ukraine's drones are very effective and cheaper than the Western missiles and that it is going to be Kiev's call on how to use them, while talking at a presser in Brussels on Friday.
"The UAV's have proven to be very effective and accurate. When you consider the fact that one precision guided missile costs, in some cases, close to $1 million – depending on what it is – and these UAVs they can produce in great numbers at a fraction of the cost so when you look at the balance sheet and the effects that are being created on the battlefield, I think this is a great capability. How they use the capability that they're producing is going to be their call," said Austin.
Austin also denied that Washington might have warned Kiev not to strike deep into the territory of the Russian Federation.
"We've seen Ukrainians use their long-range UAV strike capability to great effect. We saw recently that they were able to take out a number of strategic-level ammunition supply points, which has had an impact on the battlefield. I think what's important to point out here, Andre, is that they're able to produce these UAVs in Ukraine," replied Austin.
US Secretary of Defence also refused to comment on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's 'Victory Plan,' stating that it was not his position to publicly evaluate the plan.
"Our focus is going to continue to be on doing everything that we can to support the 'Victory Plan.' It's to support President Zelensky. It's not my position to evaluate publicly his plan. We have been supporting him by providing security assistance in a major way for over two and a half years. We're going to continue to do that," he explained before listing a series of coalitions involving in helping Ukraine.
When asked about nuclear threats previously made by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Austin criticised them, saying: "I think any kind of nuclear sabre-rattling is reckless and dangerous and we would call upon Putin and others to not employ that kind of language."
Lloyd Austin is expected to travel to Italy next for the first-ever G7 Defence Ministers meeting on Saturday where he will meet with Italian Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto and the new Minister of Defense of Japan, Nakatani Gen.
The discussions at the summit as expected to be centred around security assistance for Ukraine, deescalating tensions in the Middle East and discussing support for various partners around the world including in the Indo-Pacific region and Africa.
Mandatory credit: DVIDS
The United States Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin claimed that Ukraine's drones are very effective and cheaper than the Western missiles and that it is going to be Kiev's call on how to use them, while talking at a presser in Brussels on Friday.
"The UAV's have proven to be very effective and accurate. When you consider the fact that one precision guided missile costs, in some cases, close to $1 million – depending on what it is – and these UAVs they can produce in great numbers at a fraction of the cost so when you look at the balance sheet and the effects that are being created on the battlefield, I think this is a great capability. How they use the capability that they're producing is going to be their call," said Austin.
Austin also denied that Washington might have warned Kiev not to strike deep into the territory of the Russian Federation.
"We've seen Ukrainians use their long-range UAV strike capability to great effect. We saw recently that they were able to take out a number of strategic-level ammunition supply points, which has had an impact on the battlefield. I think what's important to point out here, Andre, is that they're able to produce these UAVs in Ukraine," replied Austin.
US Secretary of Defence also refused to comment on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's 'Victory Plan,' stating that it was not his position to publicly evaluate the plan.
"Our focus is going to continue to be on doing everything that we can to support the 'Victory Plan.' It's to support President Zelensky. It's not my position to evaluate publicly his plan. We have been supporting him by providing security assistance in a major way for over two and a half years. We're going to continue to do that," he explained before listing a series of coalitions involving in helping Ukraine.
When asked about nuclear threats previously made by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Austin criticised them, saying: "I think any kind of nuclear sabre-rattling is reckless and dangerous and we would call upon Putin and others to not employ that kind of language."
Lloyd Austin is expected to travel to Italy next for the first-ever G7 Defence Ministers meeting on Saturday where he will meet with Italian Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto and the new Minister of Defense of Japan, Nakatani Gen.
The discussions at the summit as expected to be centred around security assistance for Ukraine, deescalating tensions in the Middle East and discussing support for various partners around the world including in the Indo-Pacific region and Africa.