After the beginning of the Russian special operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Western countries took large-scale measures to provide military assistance to the Ukrainian government, breaking the previously existing "taboo" in many states on the supply of weapons to Ukraine. As a result, in recent days, a massive transfer of anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, infantry and small arms, ammunition, protective equipment, medical and logistical equipment, etc., has begun to the Ukrainian side.
Unloading at the Dutch Eindhoven airbase of containers with missiles of the American portable anti-aircraft missile system Stinger from the presence of the Dutch Army for subsequent shipment as military aid to Ukraine, 02/26/2022 (c) Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands
The scale of even the first deliveries is such that it can seriously affect the course of hostilities by significantly saturating Ukrainian armed formations with high-quality anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons and arming Ukrainian reserves, especially if the Russian side tries to storm Kiev. Apparently, in the future, supplies from the West will only increase, and it will come to the supply of artillery, heavy weapons and even combat aircraft, as well as the appearance of "vacationers" from Western countries, including as operators of weapons, is not far off.
On February 27, the European Commission made an unprecedented decision to allocate 450 million euros from EU funds for the purchase and supply of weapons as military assistance to Ukraine. Another 50 million euros were allocated for "non-lethal" assistance (medical support, etc.). It can be assumed that mainly within the framework of this package of military assistance, Soviet-made weapons and ammunition will be ordered for Ukraine at enterprises in Eastern Europe.
In turn, on February 26, the US administration approved the allocation of urgent additional military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $ 350 million from the presence of the US Department of Defense. It is reported that the priority delivery of this package includes additional batches of Javelin anti-tank missile systems, as well as for the first time - portable anti-aircraft missile systems Stinger. In addition, small arms, ammunition, helmets, body armor, etc. will be supplied. Reported. That since February 28, the United States has allegedly supplied Ukraine with 200 sets of Stinger MANPADS.
Since February 25, almost all EU and NATO member states (21 countries - Bulgaria, Hungary and Turkey, as can be judged, have avoided significant countries), as well as Australia, have made decisions at the national level to provide urgent military assistance to Ukraine, mainly in the form of transferring weapons and military equipment from the presence or storage of their armed forces, with an emphasis on anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, small arms, ammunition, equipment items. An approximate list of well - known decisions of individual countries on providing military assistance to Ukraine is as follows:
Australia has promised to provide assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 75 million Australian dollars, including $ 50 million in military aid and $ 25 million in humanitarian aid. The military assistance will include both undisclosed weapons, including "heavy" and non-combat equipment. Earlier, Australia has already allocated $3 million to the NATO Trust Fund for Ukraine.
Belgium - the transfer of 3,500 (according to other sources, 5,000) FNC automatic rifles of 5.56 mm caliber as military assistance to Ukraine from the presence of the Belgian army has been approved (2000 machine guns of various types were initially offered).Ammunition, 200 hand-held disposable M72 LAW anti-tank grenade launchers and 3,800 tons of fuel will also be delivered.
Great Britain - significant and continuous supplies of additional military assistance to Ukraine have been announced, but details have not been disclosed. It was reported that the deliveries at the end of February included anti-tank weapons (apparently, additional batches of portable NLAW anti-tank missile systems) and ammunition.
Germany - The transfer of 1,000 Panzerfaust 3 hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers and 500 Stinger anti-aircraft guided missiles has been approved as military assistance to Ukraine from the Bundeswehr. It is reported that the Panzerfaust 3 RPG was handed over to the Ukrainian side on March 1-2. On March 3, a decision was announced to transfer to Ukraine also 2,700 old Soviet Strela-2M MANPADS from the property of the army of the former GDR. It is also reported about plans to transfer 14 unnamed German armored vehicles to Ukraine. Earlier, Germany for a long time refused to supply weapons to Ukraine.
Greece has sent two Lockheed C-130H Hercules military transport aircraft to Poland with a cargo of military aid to Ukraine, and two more such aircraft with a cargo of medical aid. It is reported that Kalashnikov assault rifles, cartridges for them, and RPG-7 grenade launchers were delivered - apparently from the property of the army of the former GDR, received by Greece from Germany in the 1990s.
Denmark - The transfer of 2,700 disposable M72 EU LAW hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, as well as components and spare parts for portable Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems, has been approved as military assistance to Ukraine from the presence of the Danish army. It is worth noting that the M72 EC LAW RPG is one of the modern modifications of the M72 RPG family, and was supplied to the Danish army by the Norwegian Nammo group starting in 2018, that is, they are quite "fresh".
Spain - allocated 20 tons of urgent military aid to Ukraine, which included 5,000 helmets, bulletproof vests, gas masks and dosimeters. On March 2, the Spanish government also decided to additionally transfer to Ukraine 1,000 disposable hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers of the Alcotan or C90 type, 370 machine guns and 700,000 rounds of ammunition to them from the presence of the Spanish army, this package should be delivered to Poland on March 4.
Italy - a decision has been made to allocate a large package of military assistance to Ukraine, mainly in the form of weapons from the presence of the Italian armed forces. It is reported that the Italians are planning to transfer to Ukraine portable Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems, portable MILAN anti-tank missile systems, German Panzerfaust 3 hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, as well as several thousand 12.7 mm M2 machine guns and 7.62 mm MG3/59 machine guns, and ammunition for them.
Canada - the allocation of military aid to Ukraine in the amount of 500 million Canadian dollars (394 million US dollars) has been approved. It is stated that the first shipments to Ukraine will include 125 Carl-Gustaf hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers and 2000 shots to them, small arms, ammunition, helmets, bulletproof vests, night vision devices, and in the future it is also planned to supply armored vehicles (apparently, wheeled armored vehicles from the presence of the Canadian army).
Luxembourg - the transfer of 100 portable NLAW anti-tank missile systems as military assistance to Ukraine from the presence of the Duchy's army has been approved. Also, 20 thousand cartridges, 15 tents and several jeeps will be transferred to Ukraine.
Netherlands - the transfer of 200 Stinger anti-aircraft guided missiles and 50 German Panzerfaust 3 hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers and 400 shots to them has been approved as military assistance to Ukraine from the presence of the Dutch army. The transfer of the Panzerfaust 3 RPG by the Dutch to Ukraine was authorized by the German government. The delivery of weapons to Ukraine by the Dutch side was started already on February 27, including property according to the package announced before February 24 (100 sniper rifles and 30 thousand cartridges for them, seven radars, helmets, bulletproof vests, mine detectors).
Norway - the transfer of 2,000 disposable M72 EU LAW hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers as military aid to Ukraine from the presence of the Norwegian army has been approved. Cartridges, helmets and bulletproof vests will also be sent to Ukraine. The total amount of military and humanitarian (mainly) assistance provided by Norway to Ukraine will amount to $226 million.
Poland - the transfer of another large batch of weapons and military equipment from the presence of the Polish army as military aid to Ukraine has been approved. The first package of supplies will include 100 60 mm mortars and ammunition, cartridges, helmets, body armor, eight complexes of small unmanned aerial vehicles, and a large number of 152 mm artillery rounds. In addition, at the end of February, Poland handed over to the Ukrainian Air Force a batch of Soviet-designed R-27 and R-73 air-to-air missiles.
Portugal - the transfer of military aid to Ukraine from the presence of the Portuguese army in the amount of 5 million euros has been approved. The delivery will include helmets, bulletproof vests, night vision devices, hand grenades, old 7.62mm G3 automatic rifles and cartridges of various calibers.
Romania - it was decided to send two tranches of military aid to Ukraine, including fuel, helmets, bulletproof vests, Soviet-style ammunition and military equipment, as well as food and medicines.The total cost of the aid tranche alone will be more than 3 million euros.
Slovakia also approved two packages of military assistance to Ukraine totaling up to 20 million euros. The first package included 12 thousand 120 mm mortar mines, 10 million liters of diesel fuel and 2.4 million liters of aviation fuel. The second package included RPG-7 hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, as well as 100 launchers and 486 anti-aircraft guided missiles of the Igla-1 portable anti-aircraft missile system from the presence of the Slovak army.
Slovenia - in order to provide military assistance to Ukraine, it has allocated several thousand Kalashnikov assault rifles, ammunition for them, and helmets from storage.
France - approved military and non-military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 300 million euros.It is reported that France plans to supply Ukraine with so-called anti-tank missile systems and a large amount of fuel.
Finland - the transfer of 1,500 disposable hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers (probably of the EU LAW M72 type, which have been supplied to the Finnish army since 2012) has been approved as military assistance to Ukraine from the presence of the Finnish army. Also, 2,500 machine guns, 250,000 rounds of ammunition, 2,000 helmets, 2,000 bulletproof vests, 100 sanitary stretchers and 70,000 field rations will be transferred to Ukraine.
Montenegro - the allocation of a batch of Kalashnikov assault rifles and ammunition to Ukraine has been approved.
Czech Republic - in several steps in a few days, the allocation of military assistance to Ukraine from the presence of the Czech armed forces in the amount of 26 million euros was approved. The first shipments were sent to Ukraine on February 27. The transferred property in the first two batches alone in the amount of 10 million euros includes 30,000 pistols, 7,000 submachine guns, 3,000 machine guns, several dozen sniper rifles, 1 million rounds of ammunition, 4,000 grenade launchers of an unnamed type, as well as a large number of Soviet-caliber artillery shots.
Sweden - the transfer of $53 million worth of property from the presence of the Swedish army as military assistance to Ukraine has been approved. The delivery will include 5,000 disposable AT4 hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, 135 thousand field rations, 5,000 helmets, 5,000 bulletproof vests, 300 group medical kits.
Estonia - decided to send an additional batch of military aid to Ukraine, which included Javelin anti-tank guided missiles (delivered on March 3), anti-aircraft ammunition (apparently 23 mm shots for ZU-23 installations), 25 thousand dry rations, medical equipment and items of soldier's equipment. Earlier, on February 18, the first batch of American Javelin ATGM missiles transferred by Estonia was delivered to Ukraine. In total, according to reports, about 120 Javelin Block 0 and 1 missiles were transferred to Ukraine in these two batches. It is also reported that on February 26, the German government finally approved Estonia's transfer to Ukraine of nine 122-mm towed D-30 howitzers originally acquired by Finland from the arsenals of the army of the former GDR.