Lithuania will fund the production of Ukrainian long-range drones, including the Palianytsia "rocket drone" project. The products will be supplied to the Ukrainian Defense Forces and used against the russian invasion army. In continuation of the announcements made last month, Lithuania's Minister of National Defense Laurynas Kasčiūnas sealed the deal with a Memorandum of Understanding signed with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umierov on Saturday, November 23rd.
The first tranche worth EUR 10 million has already been agreed upon and "will be transferred shortly." The aid mechanism created this way "opens new opportunities for Lithuanian investments in our defense sector and promotes the expansion of the strategic partnership" between Ukraine and Lithuania, Umierov wrote on his social media.
Read more: Lithuania Invests €10 Million in Ukraine's Palianytsia Rocket Drone Production
During his trip to Vilnius, the defense minister also discussed training and equipment of Ukrainian military personnel in Europe, supplies of artillery and air defense ammunition, and bilateral cooperation of defense industries.
Thus Lithuania has joined the yet relatively small but rapidly expanding club of countries that committed to funding foreign, i.e. Ukrainian, defense industry. Pioneered by Denmark and therefore labeled the Danish Model, this unprecedented form of cooperation seeks to reinforce Ukraine's capability to defend itself against the russian invasion by ramping up its own sustainability rather than relying on European defense manufacturers.
Another country that joined the initiative is Sweden. This Friday, Swedish defense minister Pål Jonson promised "substantial funds" to finance mass production of unspecified long-range drones and missiles and signed associated agreements with minister Umerov in Stockholm.
Earlier Defense Express collected what is known about Ukraine's new "rocket drone" weapon Palianytsia and reported on several strategic agreements between Ukraine, Denmark, and Sweden allowing to inject €535 million into Ukrainian defense industry.
Read more: Spain Emerges as the Largest Donor of Leopard 2 Tanks to Ukraine
