Hungarian NATO Plane Helps Arms Shipment to Ukraine

A Hungarian C-17 aircraft of the NATO Heavy Airlift Regiment stationed in Pápa, W Hungary carried weapons, destined for Ukraine, from the Netherlands to a not specified Eastern European country. In the meantime, the Hungarian government said Hungary does not offer arms to Ukraine and does not allow arms transfers through its territory, but is part of a joint EU arms purchase project.

The 50 Panzerfaust 3 anti-tank weapons with 400 missiles and the 200 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, promised by the Netherlands yesterday, are on their way to Ukraine, according to the Dutch Ministry of Defense. This also applies to the previously promised 100 sniper rifles with 30,000 pieces of associated ammunition and 2 diving craft. All these military supplies are aboard a C-17 transport aircraft that has departed from Eindhoven air base to a country in Eastern Europe. From there, the military means go by road to Ukraine.

The EU Member States have already sent/are sending military equipment to Ukraine separately, not only for defence but also for offensive operations, but now the EU countries are acting in a coordinated way.

Hungary is not among these contributing countries as the government refuses to provide any military equipment to Ukraine. However, the government says Hungary is participating in the European Peace Facility, an off-budget instrument, set up last March, that allows the EU to do more and to act more swiftly to support global peace and security through actions with military and defence implications since EU budgets prohibit the use of EU funds for defense purposes.

The EU has earmarked EUR 500 million to support Ukraine in this regard. Of this, EUR 450 million will be spent on weapons and EUR 50 million on medical equipment.