Finland will send three Leopard 2 mine clearing tanks to Ukraine as part of its 13th arms package to the war-ravaged country, the Ministry of Defence has announced in a press release.
The package was approved by Finnish President Sauli Niinistö on Thursday after receiving a proposal from the government.
In its press release, the defence ministry said that the handing over of the tanks is part of an international cooperation to send Leopard armoured vehicles to Ukraine. In addition to the tanks themselves, Finland will also participate in training Ukrainian forces in their use and maintenance.
The total value of this most recent package is over 160 million euros, pushing Finland's combined defence aid for Ukraine to 750 million euros. The previous package totaled over 400 million euros.
"Friday 24 February marks the one-year anniversary of the start of Russia’s war of aggression, and Ukraine continues to need support in its defence. We will send more defence materiel and participate in the Leopard cooperation together with our partners," says Minister of Defence Mikko Savola (Cen) in the press conference.
Mine clearing tanks
The Leopard 2 variants Finland is sending have been adapted for clearing landmines.
"A mine clearing roller system has been attached to the front of the tank, with which it clears a path through the minefield for itself and other tanks following it," Savola explained in a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
The tanks lack a main gun on the turret, but they are armed with machine guns.
Savola noted that Finland has discussed with Germany, the manufacturer of the Leopard 2, on procuring replacement tanks.
"In all the materiel that we send, we have planned and considered replacement procurement options," Savola said.
The needs and stockpiles of both the Finnish Defence Forces and Ukraine were taken into account, according to the defence ministry, and Savola praised the decision as important.
"Our support for Ukraine will not waver," the defence minister stated.
The defence ministry emphasised that detailed information on the other aspects of the military package would not be provided in order to ensure the security of the shipment.
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