Unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) specialist Milrem Robotics is to deliver 150 of its THeMIS UGVs to Ukraine as part of a donation funded and co-ordinated by the Netherlands, the Estonian company announced on 6 October 2025.
A significant portion of the vehicles will be assembled and delivered in collaboration with Dutch company VDL Defentec.
The donation was initially announced in September 2025, although the identity of the contributing country was not disclosed at the time. On 6 October, however, Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans joined Milrem Robotics and VDL for a formal announcement and signing ceremony at VDL’s facility in Born to mark the agreement.
The deliveries will be executed by Milrem Robotics Netherlands in close co-operation with VDL Defentec, which is establishing a dedicated final assembly line at its Born facility. The assembly set-up is designed for scalability, enabling further production and deliveries in response to future requirements.
Milrem Robotics will deliver comprehensive training to Ukrainian operators and support staff to ensure efficient deployment and maintenance of the UGVs in the field.
The new units will add to the 15 THeMIS UGVs already in operation in Ukraine, which Milrem Robotics says have been proving their effectiveness on the battlefield since 2022.
“We are honoured to lead this project in partnership with the Netherlands and VDL,” Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “The THeMIS platform has already demonstrated its value under combat conditions, and we believe this contribution will materially strengthen Ukraine’s defence capability.”
“This initiative highlights the strength of co-operation between partners in Europe’s defence industry and their ability to scale up and contribute directly to international security,” added Willem van der Leegte, CEO of VDL Groep. “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.”
