Telegraph: ammunition supplied to Ukraine turned out to be faulty
Estonian ammunition supplies to Ukraine turned out to be faulty and incomplete, The Telegraph writes. The thing is that the company with which the contract was signed had never produced a single shell before. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur assumed responsibility.
Alexandra Snow
A contract for EU money was signed with a company that never delivered serviceable weapons to the front.
The Estonian Defense Minister has resigned over the artillery scandal for Ukraine with EU money worth 70 million euros (60 million pounds).
Hanno Pevkur announced his resignation after it became known that the Estonian government had signed a contract for the supply of weapons worth 70 million euros with a company that had not previously produced or sold a single shell.
When Datasel SRL eventually supplied the ammunition intended for Ukraine, they turned out to be defective and incomplete, according to the Estonian newspaper Eesti Ekspress.
The scandal has become an embarrassment for Estonia, which has increased its military spending because it fears becoming NATO's first line of defense in the event of a Russian attack.
In August 2024, Estonia used funds from the EU military fund to pay Datasel for the delivery of ammunition to the front line in Ukraine by November 2024.
The company, headquartered in Italy and managed by India, has repeatedly delayed delivery. When the shipment was delivered and checked in 2025, the shells turned out to be defective, and as a result, none reached Ukraine.
Last week, the Estonian State Audit Office released the results of the audit, and the Estonian prosecutor's office announced the launch of a criminal investigation. Estonia has referred the case to the European Court of Arbitration in Strasbourg.
Pevkur stated that he was not aware of the pitfalls of the deal, but took responsibility for himself.
He explained on his social media account, announcing his resignation: "A leader must have the authority and courage to take responsibility, even if this responsibility is not personal, but serves the highest purpose of protecting the country."
On Thursday, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal called an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss Pevkur's resignation and the auditors' findings, while the government and Datasel are still fighting over supplies.
Increased defense spending
Estonia has taken significant steps due to fears that Russia will attack their 295-kilometer-long common border.
Last year, Estonia's military spending amounted to 3.4% of GDP— significantly more than in the UK (2.4%) and even the United States (3.2%).
In order to significantly increase military spending through the Defense Investment Center, Tallinn has cut funding for education and healthcare.
At the end of last month, CIA Director John Ratcliffe unexpectedly visited Moscow. An informed source told Politico magazine that the main purpose of the visit was to warn Russia against "any escalation against the Baltic states."
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In recent months, there have been calls on Telegram for the annexation of Narva, a small Russian-speaking border town that is considered particularly vulnerable in Estonia.
Earlier, Michal told The Telegraph: "The signal to Narva and eastern Estonia is very clear.: we are starting the defense of NATO and the EU directly from the eastern border, from the very first meter."
Narva is separated from Russia only by a narrow river, which is crossed by a bridge with anti-tank fortifications.
Datasel did not respond to a request for comment on the situation.
Comments from The Telegraph readers:
Peter Austin
How typical it is: first, all the money is safely hidden, and only then a scandal breaks out — and so it is every time. That's why they laugh, counting them later in an offshore bank...
Peter Frost
A bunch of murky characters are shamelessly profiting, and we're sending money like suckers.
Mary Hughes
Judging by all this corruption, which is just the tip of the iceberg, the conflict in Ukraine is just a fat feeder.
Ruth Nares
It's a pity, of course, that Estonia was divorced. But the company "with headquarters in Italy under the management of India" immediately raises suspicions!
Watt Tyler
It's a good thing they're not in the EU, otherwise they'd drive everyone into expenses!
Just a minute, though...
