Netherlands Sends 60 Toyota Hilux Pickups to Ukraine’s Drone Forces

The Netherlands has transferred more than 60 Toyota Hilux pickup trucks to Ukraine for use by the country’s Unmanned Systems Force Command.

The vehicles were reportedly delivered by rail and will be adapted in Ukraine for frontline missions including troop transport, radar detection, and counter-drone operations.

According to Defence Blog on May 26, the Dutch Ministry of Defense confirmed the transfer, describing the vehicles as part of continued military support for Ukraine’s drone warfare units. The ministry said the pickups would receive specialized equipment in Ukraine depending on operational requirements.

The Toyota Hilux has become one of the most widely used light tactical vehicles in modern conflicts due to its off-road mobility, payload capacity, and ease of maintenance. In Ukraine, pickup trucks are frequently used by drone crews to transport launch systems, antennas, electronic warfare equipment, and mobile control stations near frontline positions.

Ukraine formally established its Unmanned Systems Force Command as a separate military branch in late 2024. The force oversees FPV strike drones, reconnaissance UAVs, electronic warfare systems, and counter-drone operations used against Russian aerial threats.

According to Defence Blog, Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius linked the vehicle transfer to the growing role of drone warfare in Ukraine’s defense.

“Drone units are an important reason that Ukrainian soldiers are able to stop Russian attacks at the front. We therefore fully support these units and learn from this ourselves,” Yeşilgöz-Zegerius said.

She added that Russia has intensified aerial attacks against Ukraine following setbacks on the battlefield.

“Due to the lack of success on the battlefield, Putin is now intensifying his air attacks. With many innocent Ukrainian civilian casualties as a result. It shows that Putin is doing everything to achieve his brutal war aims. If we continue to support Ukraine, he will not succeed,” the minister said.

Earlier, Denmark announced an additional $541 million military aid package for Ukraine for 2026, increasing Copenhagen’s total planned defense support to nearly $2 billion, according to Denmark’s Ministry of Defense on February 22.

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