Lithuania Sends 2 More Repaired German Howitzers PzH 2000 To Ukraine - Defense Minister

Lithuania has repaired two more German self-propelled howitzers Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000) and handed them over to Ukraine, Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said on Saturday.

In earlier statements, Anusauskas has promised that Vilnius will repair at least 12 PzH 2000 units for Kiev, which faced a shortage of spare parts for regular maintenance of howitzers.

"Two more PzH2000 howitzers were repaired and delivered to Ukraine. Along with ammunition," Anusauskas said on Twitter.

The Spiegel magazine reported in November, citing sources in Germany's armed forces, that Berlin had delivered 14 units of PzH 2000 to Ukraine, but the German Federal defense ministry failed to order spare parts in time for regular maintenance of howitzers to keep them operational.

This error significantly jeopardised the combat readiness of the PzH 2000 howitzers in Ukraine.

Since Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24, Western countries have been providing Kiev with humanitarian, military and financial aid. Moscow has denounced the flow of weapons to Ukraine from its Western allies, saying it aggravates the tensions.