Acquisitions will take up a significant portion of Lithuania’s assistance to Ukraine this year, including a contribution to the international support to Ukraine fund for heavy weapon acquisition. The military assistance will also encompass transfer and repair of weaponry and military equipment, military training and education troop rehabilitation, expertise in defence reform and enhancement of cybersecurity.
With sites on the ongoing military actions, in 2023 the Ministry of National Defence plans buying and immediately transferring to Ukraine additional equipment manufactured in Lithuania: nigh vision devices, thermal imagery equipment, drone jammers.
Other planned acquisitions in support of Ukraine include clothing for troops, new sets for the Ukrainian military undergoing training in Lithuania.
“The weapons, equipment and other military support provided by our and other countries is critical in the course of this war. Ukraine’s fight is our fight, we must adapt to the change of Ukraine’s needs and keep ensuring that the volume of assistance does not decrease,” says Arvydas Anušauskas.
This year the Lithuanian Armed Forces will evaluate the possibilities for further transfer of its capabilities. Additional financing may be allocated for repairing the equipment once transferred to Ukraine.
Military training and education will be conducted bilaterally and multilaterally with planned result of approx. 1,500 trained Ukrainian troops in 2023, part of them will receive the training in Lithuania in the framework of the European Union Military Assistance Mission Ukraine (EUMAM). Injured Ukrainian troops will continue receiving rehabilitation treatment in Druskininkai.
The expertise assistance to Ukraine’s defence reform will be delivered in accordance with the directions agreed to at the NATO Summit in Madrid: long-term interoperability, institution building, warfighting concept, military infrastructure reconstruction and defence industry development.
The Ministry of National Defence will also continue the support with expertise in the EU CRRT format and the Regional Cyber Defence Centre in Kaunas where Ukrainian personnel will take part in cybersecurity-specialist training activities.
