pakistan: Pakistan to supply weapons to Ukraine through firms in Eastern Europe | Popgen Tech

Pakistan is reportedly planning to send ammunition including mortars, rocket launchers and artillery to Ukraine via a country in Eastern Europe, ET has reliably learnt.

The ammunition is being shipped from a port in Karachi to a port in an Eastern European country bordering Ukraine.

Earlier this year, Pakistan played a critical role in the transfer of arms to Ukraine on behalf of the United Kingdom.

Defense firms located in some Eastern European states bordering Ukraine have also emerged as a gateway for the transfer of Pakistan-made military equipment, ET has learnt.

In return, Pakistan could receive Ukrainian help to upgrade its Mi-17 helicopters. A Ukrainian firm involved in the production of aircraft engines as well as industrial marine gas turbines is allegedly helping to upgrade Pakistan helicopters, according to people familiar with the matter.

Islamabad-based arms supplier DMI Associates works in collaboration with defense firms in Eastern Europe for the transfer of orders placed by the Ukrainian military.

Ukraine and Pakistan share close military and industrial ties. It is well known that Pakistan has purchased more than 320 Ukrainian T-80UD tanks in service with a fully formed ecosystem for their maintenance, use, ammunition and spare parts. Between 1991 and 2020, Ukraine signed arms contracts worth nearly $1.6 billion with Pakistan. Islamabad has reportedly struck a deal with Kiev for the refurbishment of its T-80UD fleet at a cost of $85.6 million. Last year, Pakistan and Ukraine agreed to optimize military ties, especially in the defense production, training, counter-terrorism activities and intelligence domains, ET reported earlier.

ET had earlier reported that the Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi is part of the airlift allegedly used by the UK for military aircraft flights to Avram Iancu Cluj International Airport in Romania via a British airbase in the Mediterranean to transport weapons to Ukraine carry over.

The airlift avoided Iran and Afghanistan airspace and allegedly used West Asian airspace to transfer weapons between August 6 and 15. A Globemaster plane was used to transfer the weapons. A British Air Force C-17A Globemaster III (callsign: ZZ173) was also reportedly used for daily flights between the aforementioned period using the Pakistan airlift, ET reported in September. Artillery ammunition for the Ukrainian army may have been transported via this airlift.