Finland to Produce €660 Million Worth of Defence Industry Equipment for Ukraine Under New Support Programme
Finland's Ministry of Defence is launching a new programme to support Ukraine by increasing orders for its own defence industry, the defence ministry has announced. The government will consider the Ministry of Defence's budget proposal for additional funding of the Finnish defence industry by EUR 660 million to support Ukraine.
‘Until now, we have supported Ukraine mainly through the transfer of stocks, but in the future we will order significant volumes of products from our domestic companies,’ said Defence Minister Antti Häkkinen. He added that this decision will help strengthen Ukraine's position in achieving a just peace, and the Finnish defence industry will be provided with orders for a long time.
Under the leadership of the Finnish Ministry of Defence, a new support programme has been developed since last autumn. Preparations included contacts with enterprises and negotiations with international partners, including Ukraine. The products will be delivered to our country as part of future aid packages.
In the coming weeks, a roundtable chaired by the Minister of Defence will be convened to discuss financial issues with manufacturers in more detail.
As The Gaze previously reported, Finnish company Insta has presented a Steel Eagle drone with an extended range, developed in cooperation with Ukrainian specialists.
The helicopter-type drone has already been put into mass production. It is designed to target enemy manpower and is equipped with a charge of steel and tungsten balls. When exploded from a height of several tens of metres, these elements are capable of piercing the roof of a conventional or lightly armoured vehicle.
On 26 February, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ratified a framework agreement between Ukraine and Finland on projects financed under the Finnish-Ukrainian Investment Fund programme.