Denmark transfers first €40 million to Ukraine's Defence Ministry to support Ukrainian armament production

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has received €40.7 million from the Danish aid package aimed at supporting Ukrainian production of weaponry.

"This is an important step towards strengthening our defence capability, as Denmark has allocated €50 million for the production of 18 advanced and, most importantly, Ukrainian self-propelled artillery systems [called] Bohdana," Rustem Umierov, Ukraine’s Defence Minister, said.

He stated that Denmark’s example is a signal for all partners of Ukraine about the importance of investing into Ukraine’s defence industry.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have received 18 Bohdana self-propelled artillery systems, the production of which was funded by Denmark.

Troels Lund Poulsen, Danish Defence Minister, stated that Denmark had become the first EU country that decided to allocate funds for the procurement of armament and military equipment for Ukraine’s Armed Forces from Ukrainian manufacturers.

He noted that it was way cheaper to produce weapons in Ukraine than to produce or procure them in the Western countries. It is also cheaper to maintain such weaponry.

Given these circumstances, Denmark urged European countries to fund armament production in Ukraine itself.

Bohdana is a 155-mm Ukrainian self-propelled artillery system. The country’s military officially adopted it for service in 2023.