Lithuania will invest 10 million euros ($11.04 million) in the development of Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities.
Kyiv is developing a range of long-range weapons to strike deep inside Russian territory, including the Palanytsia rocket drone unveiled last month.
“This is a huge support that will help Ukraine defend itself even more effectively,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said after the inauguration of the Lithuanian-Ukrainian Defense Industry Business Forum in Kyiv.
He added that Lithuania contributed 2 percent of its GDP to Ukraine’s defense and intends to continue supporting Kyiv with an annual contribution of 0.25 percent of its GDP.
“I thanked the Lithuanian people for their support and called on businesses to actively invest in the Ukrainian defense industry,” Umerov said.
One of Three Options
Earlier on Monday, Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said that investing in Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities is one of three options to help the country against Russia, along with giving it the capabilities or lifting long-range strike restrictions against Russia.
Investing in Ukrainian capabilities includes purchasing weapons from Ukrainian manufacturers and transferring them to Kyiv or helping Ukraine acquire those weapons, Kasciunas added.
Palanytsia Rocket Drone
The Palanytsia rocket drone blends the features of both rockets and drones, including a turbojet engine with a thrust of 43 kilograms (95 pounds).
It has a 20-kilogram (44 pounds) blast fragmentation warhead and an assumed range “between 500 and 700 kilometers (310-435 miles),” according to Leonardo Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis Federico Borsari.
Moreover, the Palianytsia can be launched from a ground platform and is considered cheaper to operate than other comparable weapons.