The drones promised to Ukraine have not yet been delivered to the front and remain in military warehouses in Lithuania
Drones promised to Ukraine, produced by Lithuanian companies, have not yet been delivered to the front and remain in military warehouses in Lithuania, although they were planned to be handed over by the end of last year. About this informs LRT.
According to the manufacturers, delays in the delivery of drones are related to bureaucratic procedures, which lead to significant losses for Ukraine.
One of the companies supplying drones for Ukraine claims that the equipment was ready several months ago. The head of RSI Europe Tomas Milashauskas said that the first batch of drones was delivered in October, the second in November, but there is no further information about their delivery to Ukraine. In addition, the company has not yet received an invitation to train the Ukrainian military to use the equipment.
Former Minister of National Defense Laurinas Kasciunas noted that the delays were caused by the multi-step transfer process.
“The bureaucracy is like this: there are warehouses, the Defense Resources Agency must formally transfer it to the army, the government must make a decision on the transfer to Ukraine, then it needs to be transported to Ukraine… This means that you need to exert your will and take each step as quickly as possible.” he explained.
Drone manufacturers insist on the fastest possible delivery of the equipment to Ukraine, because its absence on the battlefield increases the losses of the Ukrainian military.
“We delivered some of the drones in October, some in November, but we still have no information that the drones were delivered to Ukraine. If the drones don’t get to the soldiers, that means the casualties will be higher than they could have been.” Milashauskas noted.
The head of the parliamentary committee on national security and defense, Gedrijus Eglinskas, emphasized the importance of the rapid transfer of the latest technologies. He noted that this situation should be a signal to review the entire system of military equipment transfer.
The Ministry of Defense of Lithuania announced that all drones purchased from Lithuanian manufacturers will be delivered to Ukraine in the near future. This week, the government passed a decree to speed up the transfer process. According to it, if state property is purchased at the expense of government funds for the needs of another country, additional discussion of the transfer will no longer be required. The Ministry reported that the first changes are already starting to take effect, and the equipment will be transferred according to a simplified procedure.
In August 2024, five Lithuanian manufacturers successfully tested their drones in Ukraine. In total, almost 5,000 drones worth 5 million euros were purchased for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, 2,300 combat drones worth 3 million euros were purchased for the needs of the Lithuanian army.
Although earlier it was promised that all the equipment would be delivered by the end of 2024, now the manufacturers hope that with the new rules this process will be accelerated, and the drones will finally get to the Ukrainian military.
