Finland Ministry of Defence will deliver another package of defence materiel to Ukraine. The president of the Republic of Finland decided on the matter on 23 February 2023 on the proposal of the Government. As part of international cooperation on Leopard armoured vehicles, Finland will hand over three Leopard 2 de-mining tanks to Ukraine, including training related to their use and maintenance. These three vehicles are included in the aid package now decided. This will be the 13th package of defence materiel to Ukraine.
For operational reasons and to ensure that the delivery reaches its destination, more detailed information on the content of the assistance, manner of delivery or schedule will not be provided. The total value of this aid package is over EUR 160 million. The combined value of all defence materiel packages submitted so far is now EUR 750 million. Both Ukraine’s needs and the resources of the Defence Forces have been taken into account when deciding on the additional assistance.
“Friday 24 February marks the one-year anniversary of the start of Russia’s war of aggression, and Ukraine continues to need support in its defence. We will send more defence materiel and participate in the Leopard cooperation together with our partners,” says Minister of Defence Mikko Savola.
Parts of the current Finnish defence materiel package to Ukraine is possible thanks to closer bilateral cooperation between Finland and Sweden; Finland supplies defence materiel to Ukraine, and Sweden expresses its readiness to support Finland as necessary. The defence forces of Finland and Sweden will review and, if necessary, update their operational plans. Their defence administrations have examined the support to Ukraine with necessary defence materiel to make sure that this would not endanger the national defence of the two countries. The joint support to Ukraine is a sign of deep mutual trust and increasingly close defence cooperation between Finland and Sweden.
