Sweden announces $68.8 million security assistance package to Ukraine

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Sweden said Wednesday it would provide Ukraine with a security assistance package of 720 million Swedish crowns ($68.8 million).

“Good news from Scandinavia: Sweden announced another package of security assistance for Ukraine worth SEK 720m. Air defense systems, vehicles, winter equipment will help our soldiers and support Ukraine’s fight. Thank you to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Defense Minister Pal Jonsson, and the Swedish people,” Ukraine’s defense minister Oleksii Reznikov wrote on Twitter.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced earlier that his country would provide Ukraine with the largest support package "to date," a total of 3 billion Swedish crowns ($287 million).

“Sweden is significantly increasing our support to Ukraine’s freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Today we announced the largest Swedish military and humanitarian support packages to Ukraine to date, including a ground based air defense system,” Kristersson wrote on Twitter.

The support comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia fired “around 100 missiles” Tuesday across Ukraine, mostly targeting the country’s energy infrastructure.

Ukrainian officials also reported explosions in several cities, including Rivne, Lviv, Vinnytsia and Kovel.

Parts of Rivne, the administrative center of the western Rivne region, were left without electricity after blasts at a critical infrastructure location, Mayor Alexander Tretyak said on Telegram.

Three residential buildings were hit in Kyiv the same day, killing a civilian, said the mayor.​​​​​​​