MOSCOW, July 21. /TASS/. Kiev needs $6 bln to cover a budget shortfall in arms purchases this year, Ukrainian Defense Minister Denis Shmygal said at a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Ramstein.

"Ukraine needs $6 billion to cover a gap in the arms procurement budget this year," he said, the RBC-Ukraine news agency reported.

According to the minister, the funds will make it possible to produce more drones to hold the line and interceptor drones to counter Russian drones.

Also, Shmygal urged Europe to buy Patriot missiles, which should be provided to Kiev by the US. He also appealed to Western partners to make plans now to earmark some money in their 2026 budgets for Ukraine.

UK Defense Minister John Healey said that the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will hold its July 21 virtual meeting under the leadership of the UK and Germany, with participants including NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Supreme Allied Commander Europe Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich.

News reports previously said US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will also take part, but according to the RBC-Ukraine news agency, Hegseth will not join the meeting. Instead, the US will be represented by its envoy to NATO, Matthew Whitaker. Hegseth did not attend in the previous meeting of the group in early June either.