HNLMS Groningen is delivering emergency aid in Venezuela, after the devastating earthquakes in the country. The disaster relief effort is taking place in coordination with the Venezuelan authorities and the United Nations.
The Royal Netherlands Navy vessel has been in the Caribbean since early June. The ship took on supplies of food, water and relief goods on Curaçao before leaving for Venezuela on Sunday.
Dutch military personnel have been training and advising the Lebanese armed forces for some time now. The Netherlands also lends financial support to the Lebanese armed forces. The money goes to checkpoints, training centres, and demining equipment, among other things. During his visit to the country, Netherlands Chief of Defence General Onno Eichelsheim emphasized that Dutch support is especially important in these turbulent times and that the Netherlands will continue to support Lebanon.
Exercise Fighter Lion, which took place in the Netherlands and Germany, ended last week. Almost 7,000 military personnel took part, while thousands of vehicles were also deployed. It was the largest army exercise in years. Fighter Lion illustrated how quickly modern warfare is changing, with drones and electronic warfare now playing a major role. During the exercise, military personnel experimented with nets against drones and built an underground hospital.
https://english.defensie.nl/latest/news/2026/07/01/a-look-at-the-defence-news-22-28-june