Lithuania will send 10 M113 armored vehicles to Ukraine, bringing the total of such vehicles delivered by Vilnius to 72, Lithuania's Defense Minister Avrydas Anusauskas announced on June 28.
Lithuania also ordered 12.5 million rounds for small arms to be produced in 2023, of which 2.5 million will be delivered "in the near future," Anusauskas wrote on Facebook.
Thousands of anti-tank munitions for grenade launchers will also be part of the package, Anusauskas wrote.
Lithuania has also acquired two launchers for the NASAMS air defense system and will soon transfer them to Ukraine, Gitanas Nauseda announced on June 28.
This marks the first transfer from Lithuania of the NASAMS system, which has been in service in Ukraine since late last year after being delivered by the United States to defend Ukraine's airspace.
The NASAMS system, which has a maximum range of 50 kilometers depending on the model used, is particularly valuable for Ukraine as it uses the AIM-120 AMRAAM interceptor missile, used in an air-to-air function in Western fighter jets.
This means that the missile is in large supply, giving Ukraine more of what it needs to continue defending its sky against Russian missiles and aircraft as the ammunition for its Soviet-era air defense systems begins to run low.
These announcements came on the backdrop of Nauseda's visit to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on June 28, during the leaders will discuss the agenda of the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius with Zelensky, Ukraine's membership in the European Union, and Lithuanian and European Union aid to the country.
NATO's 31 member states will meet in Vilnius in July to discuss a number of issues, including potential security guarantees for Ukraine, Sweden's entrance into the alliance, and Stoltenberg's possible successor.
Alexander Khrebet
(Updated: )
