TSAMTO, August 17. On August 16, the Latvian Defense Ministry reported that, in accordance with the decision of the extraordinary Cabinet meeting of July 28, Latvia supplied Ukraine with six 155-mm self-propelled howitzers M-109A5OE and the necessary ammunition.
According to Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks, thanks to the support of allies, Ukrainian servicemen have already been trained in the use of this equipment and can immediately begin using it.
As reported by TSAMTO, the Ministry of Defense of Latvia and the Ministry of Defense and Sports of Austria signed an agreement on the sale to Riga of the first 47 self-propelled howitzers M-109A5OE, other equipment, equipment and services in April 2017. The total cost of the purchase was not named, but it was reported that the installation price, depending on the modification, ranges from 60 to 140 thousand euros. Howitzers were modernized by the Austrian Armed Forces in the period 2003-2007, and then put into storage. Deliveries to Latvia were made in the period from October 2017 to October 2018.
In April 2021, the Latvian Defense Ministry signed an agreement on the purchase of 18 additional self-propelled howitzers. The cost of this contract was about 2 million euros. These installations were delivered in July 2021.
The M-109A5OE is an Austrian-Swiss upgrade of the A2 and A3 versions of howitzers with the replacement of the M185 barrel. They provide the ability to hit targets at ranges up to 22 km with standard ammunition and up to 30 km with extended–range active-reactive ammunition. The howitzer can open fire within a minute of receiving the task and leave the firing position within 30 seconds after its completion.
As indicated by the Ministry of Defense of Latvia, Latvia is one of the countries that provided Ukraine with the most significant support based on its value in relation to gross domestic product. Thus, Latvia has supplied Ukraine with weapons and individual equipment, unmanned aerial vehicles, dry rations, ammunition, anti-tank weapons and MANPADS "Stinger" in the amount of more than 200 million euros.
On August 15, the Latvian Defense Ministry announced the gratuitous transfer to the Armed Forces of Ukraine of four helicopters – two Mi-17 and two Mi-2. The equipment was transferred to the Ukrainian Air Force in partially disassembled form. Before delivery, the helicopters were painted, and one Mi-17 underwent major repairs.
