Denmark to receive 18 Ukrainian self-propelled howitzers in coming months, says Danish gov't

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) - The Danish Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that the first 18 Ukrainian-made Bohdana self-propelled howitzers will be delivered to Denmark in the coming months, a move aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s military capabilities.

Speaking at the NATO summit in Washington, DC, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, said the initiative represents a shift in Copenhagen’s approach to supporting the war-torn country.

He also emphasized that direct orders placed with the Ukrainian defense industry rather than traditional donation methods have obvious logistical advantages which also contribute to the development of Ukraine's defense industry.

"I hope that more countries will follow the Danish procurement model in Ukraine. Ukrainians' ability to produce weapons is greater than their current funding," the minister said.

In June, the Danish government signed a memorandum on the purchase of weapons and equipment from Ukrainian manufacturers, becoming the first NATO member to agree to such an investment.

At the NATO Public Forum on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the transfer of F-16 fighter jets from Europe to Ukraine is now underway and that the first batch of US-built jets are already being transferred to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands.

Blinken said those jets will be flying in the skies of Ukraine this summer “to make sure that Ukraine can continue to effectively defend itself against the Russian aggression.”

In April, the Danish Defense Ministry pledged a new 2.2 billion kroner ($313 million) military aid package for Ukraine which included 200 million Danish kroner ($28.5 million) aimed for purchases from Ukraine's defense industry.

Ukraine's defense industry has a capacity of around $20 billion, however, the state only has a budget of $6 billion to purchase weapons and equipment, according to an earlier statement by Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin.

Kamyshin suggested that when it comes to producing Ukrainian weapons in 2024, foreign investment of around $10 billion is needed.