The Latvian Defense Ministry has ordered an unspecified number of Patria 6x6 armored personnel carriers for Ukraine, the country's ministry announced on Feb. 10.
Latvia has been one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters since the outbreak of the full-scale war, and pledged to annually allocates 0.25% of its GDP to provide military aid to Ukraine.
The Patria 6x6 is a six-wheeled armored personnel carrier produced by the Finnish defense industry company Patria.
It can carry up to 10 soldiers and be adapted for various tasks, such as troop transportation, mobile command posts and medical evacuation.
Ukraine is expected to receive Patria 6x6 vehicles in late 2025. The delivery will not affect the volume and schedule of the previously placed order for the Latvian army, the statement read.
"We will not only support Ukraine in the fight against the occupier, but also test the use and durability of armored vehicles in real combat conditions, which will provide useful lessons for the national Armed Forces," said Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds.
In early February, Ukrainian Ambassador to Riga Anatolii Kutsevo inspected the production of the first batch of the vehicles in the town of Valmiera.
Latvia signed an agreement for the purchase of these vehicles in August 2021. The deal includes an order for more than 200 armored personnel carriers, as part of the Finnish-Latvian-Swedish-German cooperation program.
Tim Mak
(Updated: )
