Kiwis train Ukrainians how to use howitzers
New Zealand will send 30 troops to the UK to train Ukrainian forces how to use a type of howitzer.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday said the Defence Force personnel would stay in the UK until the end of July for L119 light gun training.
The 105 mm calibre gun can be used in either offensive or defensive operations, according to the NZDF.
Ardern said New Zealand had been asked to help teach Ukrainians to use the guns.
This followed a deployment in April of nine staff to the UK and Belgium to assist other countries with tasks including intelligence assessments.
Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Kevin Short said 230 Ukrainians would be trained and each training session would take about one week.
The New Zealand Army said vehicles usually towed L119s into position but the guns could also be carried as a sling load underneath a helicopter for faster deployment.
Former Defence Minister Ron Mark has visited Ukraine, and for weeks has been urging New Zealand to do more to help the country after Russia’s invasion.
Ardern said she was fond of Mark but disagreed with some of his recent comments and believed him being on the ground would not “add anything”.
The Government has previously imposed five rounds of sanctions covering more than 700 individuals and entities connected to the Russian and Belarusian regimes.
New Zealand also previously approved deployment of a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130H Hercules aircraft and NZDF personnel to the UK and Europe.
The deployments were supposed to provide intelligence, liaison, transportation and logistics support to the international community’s efforts to support Ukraine.
The NZDF’s open-source intelligence capability has also been used, and military equipment donated to Ukraine.
New Zealand has also invested approximately $15.7 million to purchase military equipment for Ukraine, and commercial satellite access for Ukrainian Defence Intelligence.
New Zealand has also called for accountability for alleged Russian war crimes.
Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Ukraine’s new Ambassador to New Zealand, urged the Government two weeks ago to do more to support his country in its war with Russia.