Christmas Gift for Ukraine: Finland Commences Production of Artillery Projectiles
Finland will soon begin manufacturing artillery ammunition for Ukraine, announced the country's Minister of Defense, Antti Hakkanen, in an interview with the local publication Iltalehti. According to him, the government has concluded negotiations with manufacturers on how Finland will further increase the production of artillery ammunition for Ukraine, and this decision will be approved very soon—before Christmas.
Hakkanen noted that the production of ammunition will be increased by tens of millions of euros. The local company Nammo Lapua Oy will be the supplier of 155mm caliber artillery projectiles.
"We intend to support Ukraine even more than we do now. At the same time, we will further enhance Finland's readiness and that of Northern European countries for the production of ammunition," emphasized Hakkanen.
According to the official, Finland has appealed to both NATO and the EU (especially to major European member countries) to increase assistance to Ukraine in the form of arms.
"We consider arming Ukraine as a key issue. The priority of our influence in the EU and NATO is to push large countries, especially in Europe, to increase arms production," underscored Hakkanen.
The Minister of Defense of Finland hopes that Finland's example will prompt other countries to fulfill their commitments to increasing the production of artillery projectiles.
"There are two reasons for increasing the production of ammunition: supporting Ukraine in its defensive struggle and strengthening the defense capabilities of European countries. Over the past 30 years, this potential has been weakened too much," said Hakkanen.
It was also announced yesterday that the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has received a large order for 155mm artillery ammunition for Ukraine from an unnamed NATO member country. The contract amount is 142 million euros. The ammunition will be produced by Rheinmetall Expal Munitions, based in Spain. Although the main part of the deliveries is planned for 2025, a portion of the total order, namely 40,000 units, is expected to be delivered in 2024.
The current global surge in demand for artillery projectiles and other ammunition and weapons worldwide has influenced the specified terms of order fulfillment.