In June, Switzerland vetoed Denmark’s request to send Swiss-made armored vehicles to Ukraine. It was a blow for Ukrainian troops, who continue to seek access to modern NATO-standard military equipment and vehicles – but it doesn’t mean that Denmark wasn’t able to send some of its own equipment instead.
Videos shared online this week show how Denmark successfully delivered several armored personnel vehicles built by American manufacturing company FMC Corporation.
The video footage shows Ukrainian soldiers sitting on top of the armored personnel carrier as it travels down a country road. The soldiers wave to the camera as they pass by.
“The first sighting of Danish M113G4DK armored personnel carriers in Ukraine – here seen with add-on armor and armed with a Browning M2 .50 heavy machine gun,” Ukraine Weapons Tracker writes.
“In total 54 M113G3DK and M113G4DK APCs were donated by Denmark to the Ukrainian army.”
While the soldiers are sitting on top of the vehicle, the personnel carrier is designed to offer protection from bullets and blasts when the soldiers travel inside of it.
Denmark Announced Plans to Send Tanks and More In April
In April, Denmark announced that it would send a number of M113 armored personnel carriers, anti-tank mines, and mortar shells to Ukraine. The donations were part of a 600 million DKK (82.7 million USD) gift to Kyiv.
#Ukraine: The first sighting of Danish ?? M113G4DK armored personnel carriers in Ukraine – here seen with add-on armor and armed with a Browning M2 .50 heavy machine gun.
In total 54 M113G3DK and M113G4DK APCs were donated by Denmark to the Ukrainian army. pic.twitter.com/xiNtbtbLwY— ?? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) July 6, 2022
At the time of the announcement, the Danish government refused to provide a timeline of when the vehicles were expected to be delivered. It followed a period of review by Danish Defense officials who determined what weapons the country had in stock, didn’t presently need, and would be of the most use to Ukraine.
The Danish Ministry of Defense did announce, however, that the personnel carriers had been fitted with new, more powerful engines. They were also renovated with new interiors and fitted with stronger armor, making these 60s-era vehicles more modern, capable tanks
Speaking to Euractiv, military researcher Major Kristian Lindhardt, a representative of the Danish Defense Academy, said that the M113s sent to Ukraine would be perfectly suited to the conflict.
“It’s a mobile battle, where personnel need to be protected as they are transported from points A to B through areas under fire. At the same time, it has some armament, as a heavy machine gun can be mounted on the PMV,” Lindhardt said.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
