Lithuania Delivers A New Batch of M577 Tracked Armored Personnel Carriers to Ukraine
On April 6, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense announced the delivery of a new batch of M577 tracked armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. The supply in question occurred as part of a 200 million Euro military aid package approved by the Vilnius government for Ukraine on January 10, 2024. For security reasons, the Ministry’s statement did not reveal the number of vehicles delivered, the variants they included, or their destinations.
Regarding the most recent military aid provided to Ukraine, Lithuania’s Minister of Defense Laurynas Kasčiūnas stated: “Continued support for Ukraine is our strategic goal. The weapons and equipment that we and our allies provide make a decisive contribution to Ukraine’s fight for independence and the security of Europe as a whole. We will continue to support Ukraine as long as necessary.”
Lithuania purchased more than 180 M577 armored personnel carriers in good condition from the German Armed Forces in 2016 for command, indirect fire support, medical evacuation, and training. Along with the vehicles, the Bundeswehr delivered spare parts, maintenance vehicles, and equipment for the crew to Lithuania in several batches over two years. In 2019, Lithuania, through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), signed a €1.5 million contract with the German company FFG Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH for the modernization of 22 M577 armored personnel carriers. The modernized M577s were transferred to the General Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion in Rukla for command and control of the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ PzH2000 howitzers that same year.
Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, Lithuania has announced that it has delivered M577 Command Post Carriers to Kiev at regular intervals. However, no clear statement has been made about how many of these vehicles have been delivered thus far, nor about the vehicle variants that have been sent.
Lithuania has provided Ukraine with approximately 605 million euros in military assistance since the start of the war. Aside from the M577 armored vehicles, this military support consists of the NASAMS air defense system, Bofors L70 short-range automatic anti-aircraft systems, M113 tracked armored personnel carriers, maritime surveillance radars, electrical generators, millions of bullets, and anti-tank weapons. In addition to regular military equipment supplies, Lithuania actively trains Ukrainian soldiers, provides medical treatment and rehabilitation, expert advice, and contributes to Ukraine’s international fund. Lithuania additionally established a long-term support plan for Ukraine. A new military aid package worth 200 million Euros is planned for Ukraine for the years 2024-2026, according to this plan.