Former howitzers of the Austrian army reached the Ukrainian battlefield via a detour in Latvia. They were sold by Austria to Latvia in 2017.
As Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced on Tuesday, “six more” M109 howitzers have been delivered from neighboring Latvia in recent weeks. “They are already showing results on the battlefield,” said the minister, thanking the Baltic state for its support – which in turn got its weapons from Austria.
Austrian past
Because it is not only the national flag of Latvia that provides a certain connection with Austria – the six howitzers also have a red-white-red past. They come from the stocks of the Austrian Armed Forces, which sold 47 units to Latvia in 2017. Better: wasted. According to reports, only a tenth of the amount invested in the renovation before the sale was received at the time.
Only a few artillery left in Austria
These were 155mm M109A5Ö self-propelled howitzers, M109 data center tanks and M109 driving school tanks, six of which are now used at the front – presumably M109A5Ö. In Austria artillery has been gradually reduced in recent years and about 50 self-propelled howitzers are still in stock in this country.
2017: “Growing Russian Threat”
Incidentally, the rationale behind the purchase of army weapons in Latvia at the time was prophetic: they wanted to invest more in the armed forces in 2017 because “the threat from Russia had increased after the annexation of Crimea”.
The deal then had a volume of about 6 million euros and Latvian artillerymen were being trained in Austria at the time.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
