Estonia to transfer artillery and ammunition to Ukraine

21 March, 2024 Pansarvarnspjas 1110 (PV-1110) recoilless gun in service with the Armed Forces, 2023 Estonia has announced a new package of military aid, which will include artillery, ammunition, and equipment. The Ministry of Defense of Estonia announced this.

Today, March 21, at a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umierov, Estonian Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur announced that Estonia will send the next package of military aid worth EUR20 million to Ukraine. "The package includes recoilless anti-tank guns, explosives, various types of artillery ammunition, gas masks, sniper equipment, smaller caliber ammunition, and more. We put this package together focussing on providing the maximum benefit to Ukraine while making sure to not diminish Estonian defence readiness," Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur shared.

The latest aid package includes 155 mm caliber shells, which is Estonia's additional contribution to the European Union's initiative to transfer one million shells to Ukraine. The type of recoilless guns is also not named. However, as early as 2022, Estonia transferred a certain number of Swedish-made 90-mm Pansarvarnspjas 1110 guns (PV-1110) from its stockpiles.

Pansarvarnspjas 1110 (PV-1110) of the Lithuanian military.

2010, Lithuania. Photo from open sources

The gun is designed to hit static targets at a distance of 800 m and moving targets at a distance of up to 500 meters. However, unlike its Soviet-era counterparts, it does not have high-explosive munitions for combating infantry in its arsenal.

The gun is manned by a group of 2-3 people and is transported on its own two-wheel carriage, but can also be used on a vehicle. This is the second batch of military aid from Estonia this year. Previously, on February 3, the country's government allocated a package that included anti-tank missiles of the Javelin system, machine guns, small arms ammunition, ground and amphibious vehicles, as well as diving equipment.

Javelin ATGM of the Estonian army.

Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Estonia

Over the next four years, Estonia plans to provide military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 0.25% of its GDP, stated Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in January.

Compared to last year's GDP of the country of EUR37.7 billion, the approximate amount of assistance can vary within EUR100 million per year.

At the same time, Estonia and other Baltic countries started a large-scale project to build defense lines and fortifications on the border with Russia.