Lithuania has earmarked a further €223 milion in military assistance for Ukraine this year, focusing on air defence, drones and long-range artillery ammunition, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas has said.
Speaking in Brussels on Thursday at a meeting of NATO defence ministers, which included the 33rd session of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, Kaunas said Lithuania’s total military support had already exceeded $1bn.
“We hear Ukraine’s urgent needs. Lithuania’s military assistance has already surpassed 1 billion US dollars. This year, we have reserved another 265 million US dollars for three priorities: air defence, Ukrainian drones and long-range artillery ammunition,” he said in a statement released by the ministry.
He also briefed allies on Lithuania’s plans to further strengthen Ukraine’s domestic defence industry.
Lithuania has pledged to provide long-term support to Ukraine, committing to allocate at least 0.25% of its GDP annually to assistance.
Under what the ministry describes as a Lithuanian model of direct bilateral investment, €32m has been allocated for the production of long-range strike drones for the Ukrainian armed forces.
A further €10m is to be set aside this year for additional drone production, while €20m has been earmarked for the purchase of long-range strike and naval drones from Ukraine’s localised defence industry.
Kaunas also highlighted Lithuania’s participation in the Czech-led ammunition initiative. He said nearly €28m would be allocated for the production of two types of 155mm artillery shells, including long-range rounds.
Another €5m has been set aside for anti-tank mines. Since the start of the year, Lithuania has already delivered €26m worth of military aid, including generators, fuel tankers, counter-drone systems and optical equipment.
Lithuania continues to train and rehabilitate Ukrainian troops and is working with Iceland in the Demining Coalition.
This year, Lithuania’s contribution to the coalition fund will amount to nearly €30m, to be used to purchase mine-resistant vehicles from Ukrainian manufacturers.
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