Kosovo to hand over armored vehicles, trucks, and mortar rounds to Ukraine

20 March, 2024 81mm mortar round. Photo: Lance Cpl. Victoria Ross

The partially recognized Republic of Kosovo will provide Ukraine with two military aid packages. Ejup Maqedonci, Minister of Defense of Kosovo, announced this. He stated this at the 20th meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine, which took place on March 19 at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

The aid consists of mortar rounds, trucks, and armored vehicles. Maqedonci emphasized that Kosovo will continue to support "Ukraine in its heroic war against Russian aggression." He also announced the supply of a second military aid package to Ukraine, which consists of mortar shells.

"Today at the UDCG meeting, I announced our second package of military aid for Ukraine, consisting of mortar rounds," Macedonsi wrote on X (Twitter). The Minister also shared that the first package with trucks and tactical and armored vehicles will be delivered to Ukraine next week. It is worth noting that this is the first time a partially recognized state has provided military aid to Ukraine.

Kosovo is among the countries that have condemned and supported EU sanctions against Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Ammunition for the German PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer of the Ukrainian military. July 2022. Frame from the Radio Svoboda video

As previously reported, during a meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine in the Ramstein format, the German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius announced that Germany will allocate half a billion euros to purchase hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition to meet Ukraine's needs.

Also, to meet Ukraine's short-term needs, 10,000 artillery munitions will be transferred from the German army inventory, which, according to Pistorius, should start immediately.