Sweden announced on Tuesday that it would provide Ukraine with military hardware worth 7.1 billion kronor ($682 million), giving the nation a boost as it battles to repel Russia’s incursion.
“The reason we are continuing to support Ukraine is a matter of humanity and decency. Russia started an illegal, unprovoked and indefensible war,” Defence Minister Pal Jonson told a news conference.
Artillery shells, air defense, boats, underwater weaponry including mines and torpedoes, and training for Ukrainian soldiers will all be included in the package.
This is Sweden’s biggest aid package to date, and it will be its 15th to Ukraine. Sweden has already provided 50 of its CV90 armored combat vehicles, “around 10” Leopard 2 tanks, anti-air missile systems, and its Archer mobile artillery system.
The announcement comes just days before the war in Ukraine enters its third year after Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022.
A heightened offensive in eastern and southern Ukraine saw Russia capture the key town of Avdiivka last week.
The Ukrainian military also says it is critically short of ammunition and shells, worsened by the holdup of a $60 billion US aid package.
“The situation in Ukraine is difficult”, Jonson conceded during the press conference.The Swedish government also said the aid was essential to ensure the long-term security of the Nordic country.
Mikael Oscarsson of the Christian Democrats, a member of the coalition government, said that “there would be direct consequences for our own security if Putin were to win.”
