The Benelux countries will transfer the batch of M113 APCs to Ukraine
19 July, 2023 M113 armored personnel carriers of the Spanish military. Spain, 2022. Photo credits: Ejercito de Tierra
Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg will finance the transfer of ?113 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. Ludivine Dedonder, Minister of Defense of Belgium, noted that the Benelux countries reaffirm their unwavering determination to support Ukraine in response to unacceptable Russian aggression. M113 armored personnel carriers will be purchased from industrial stocks and refurbished.
Together with the equipment, Ukraine will also receive the necessary spare parts. These ?113 will be equipped with a remote control weapon system and fitted with the mounting for a 7,62mm or 12,7mm machine gun.
M113 armored vehicle of the Ukrainian military. June 2023.
Ukraine. Photo credits: @winua22
The number of APCs and the deadlines for their transfer to Ukraine are conventionally not disclosed, but it is indicated that this will happen over the next few months. "With this assistance, we show that we continue to support Ukraine against Russian aggression," Defense Ministers of Belgium Ludivine Dedonder, the Netherlands Kajsa Ollongren, and Luxembourg Francois Bausch shared.
It is also reported that armored personnel carriers are transferred at the request of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Presumably, armored personnel carriers will be transferred from Belgium with the support of the Netherlands and Luxembourg. In June this year, it was reported that the Council of Ministers of Belgium approved the 15th package of military assistance to Ukraine, which included these armored personnel carriers.
M113 in one of the Belgian museums, 2017.
Photo from open sources
The Belgian military has withdrawn M113 from service more than a decade ago.
As of 2010, about 747 M113 in various variations remained in Belgium.
In general, hundreds of M113 armored personnel carriers are in service with the Ukrainian army, which were supplied to Ukraine by the United States and European Union countries.