Russia’s Ministry of Defence has released a list of possible targets that includes a Dutch air defence firm based in Hengelo.
Released on Wednesday, the hit list targets businesses across Europe that are supplying drones to Ukrainian forces.
As RTL Nieuws reports, there’s one Dutch entry on the list: Destinus, a Twente-based company that makes strike and air defence systems.
“Sleep well, European partners!” tweeted the vice chairman of the Russian Security Council.
What is Destinus?
Destinus builds the Ruta, a cruise missile used by the Ukrainian armed forces.
The company made headlines just days earlier when it announced a joint venture with German defence giant Rheinmetall.
The partnership plans to build missiles and ballistic rocket artillery for European and NATO markets starting in the latter half of 2026.
Threat from Moscow
The former Russian president wrote a rather ominous tweet about the hit list on X.
Russian Defense Ministry’s statement must be taken literally: the list of European facilities which make drones & other equipment is a list of potential targets for the Russian armed forces. When strikes become a reality depends on what comes next. Sleep well, European partners!
— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) April 15, 2026
Dmitry Medvedev asserted, “When strikes become a reality depends on what comes next.”
Russia’s Defence Ministry frames European drone support as “a deliberate step towards a sharp escalation of the military and political situation.”
Russia’s catalogue spans eight other nations, with targets named in Germany, Poland, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
The Dutch response
Just an hour before Medvedev’s tweet, Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz made a striking announcement.
Nederland investeert €248 miljoen in drones voor Oekraïne. Deze drones worden in onze beide landen gefabriceerd. Hiermee versterken we onze samenwerking én onze eigen industrie nog verder. En het belangrijkste: de drones helpen om de Russische aanvallen af te slaan! 🇳🇱🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/laKCFcFSxM
— Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius (@DefensieMin) April 15, 2026
Translation: The Netherlands is investing €248 million in drones for Ukraine. These drones are manufactured in both our countries. With this, we further strengthen our cooperation and our own industry. And most importantly: the drones help repel Russian attacks!
And it’s not the first time the Netherlands has found itself in Moscow’s line of fire for supporting Ukraine.
Last year, MIVD (the Dutch military intelligence service) documented a steady rise in Russian cyberattacks.
It remains to be seen whether the Russian Defence Ministry is just puffing its chest or a threat to Dutch national security truly lies ahead.
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