KIEV, February 20. /TASS/. The government of the Netherlands changed their mind and began supplying weapons to Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba announced on Sunday.

"Last year, the government of the Netherlands opposed the acquisition of weapons by Ukraine through the NATO procurement system and did not supply us with any weapons. But this week, they changed their mind and delivered some defensive items to Kiev necessary for our defense capability," he said at a briefing following the Munich Security Conference.

On February 18, the Netherlands announced that it had decided to approve Ukraine's request for military assistance.

The situation along the contact line in eastern Ukraine took a turn for the worse on the morning of February 17. The Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics reported some of the most intensive shelling by Kiev forces in recent months. The shelling damaged some civilian facilities.

On Friday, the leaders of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics announced the evacuation of the republics’ inhabitants to Russia, citing the increasing threat of hostilities.