Estonian robotics manufacturer Milrem Robotics will deliver over 150 THeMIS unmanned ground vehicles to Ukraine in a donation funded and coordinated by the Netherlands, the company announced on its website.
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans attended the signing ceremony at VDL's facility in Born on 6 October, marking the formal agreement between Milrem Robotics and VDL Defentec.
The donation was first announced in September, though the contributing country remained undisclosed until this week's ceremony.
Milrem Robotics Netherlands will execute the deliveries in cooperation with VDL Defentec, which is establishing a final assembly line at its Born facility. The assembly setup is designed for scalability to enable further production based on future requirements.
"We are honoured to lead this project in partnership with the Netherlands and VDL. The THeMIS platform has already demonstrated its value under combat conditions, and we believe this contribution will materially strengthen Ukraine's defence capability," said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics.
Willem van der Leegte, CEO of VDL Groep, emphasized the broader implications of the collaboration: "This initiative highlights the strength of cooperation between partners in Europe's defence industry and their ability to scale up and contribute directly to international security. Establishing the assembly line in Born supports this donation and creates a foundation for future production and innovation between Milrem Robotics and VDL in the Netherlands."
The new units will supplement 15 THeMIS vehicles already operating in Ukraine since 2022.
Milrem Robotics will provide comprehensive training to Ukrainian operators and support staff to ensure efficient deployment and maintenance in the field, according to the company's statement.
THeMIS is an unmanned vehicle platform designed for supporting dismounted forces, logistics, reconnaissance, and combat support missions. The platform is currently deployed or part of robotics programs in 19 countries.
