Sweden contributes over USD 500M to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capability
That is according to a press release from the Swedish Ministry of Defense, as reported by Ukrinform.
On May 22, the Swedish government instructed the Swedish Armed Forces to provide economic donations to various multilateral funds and initiatives aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defense capability. These donations are part of Sweden’s 19th support package for Ukraine, originally announced on March 31 and approved by the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament) on April 29.
“These disbursements will make Ukraine’s armed forces and defense industry stronger in their defense against Russia,” Swedish Minister for Defense Pål Jonson said.
The Swedish Ministry of Defense stated that Stockholm is providing support to several funds and initiatives, established by the international community, for the procurement of logistical and technical equipment aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defense capability.
In particular, donations will be directed to: the Demining Capability Coalition (over $10.4 million) for the procurement of mine clearance equipment, including mine sensors, vehicles, and personal protective equipment; the Drone Coalition (over $31.4 million) for the purchase of various types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); the Maritime Capability Coalition (over $5.2 million) for the training of personnel of the Ukrainian Navy within the framework of Operation Intercharge; the IT Coalition (over $3.1 million) for the procurement of equipment to establish Ukraine’s Delta situational awareness system.
In addition to this, the Swedish government approved an additional contribution of over 1 billion SEK (more than $104 million) to the so-called Danish model, a procurement mechanism for logistical and technical equipment for Ukraine’s defense industry.
Stockholm will also allocate 418 million SEK (over $43.7 million) for the procurement of materiel to support the build-up of Ukraine’s ground combat capability, including armored vehicles.
Furthermore, the Swedish Ministry of Defense announced support for ammunition procurement initiatives, including the Czech initiative (an additional $57.5 million) and the Estonian initiative (approximately $57 million more).
The Swedish government will also provide Ukraine with over 1 billion SEK (more than $104 million) for the procurement of air defense systems and long-range drones.
As Ukrinform previously reported, on March 31, the Swedish government announced its largest military support package to Ukraine, totaling $1.6 billion.
