Karachi: Even as millions of people across Pakistan continue to struggle in dire misery due to a severe food shortage and worsening economic crisis, the country is all set to send another consignment of weapons and ammunition to help Ukraine fight the ongoing invasion by Russia.
According to a report by Indian Defence Research Wing (IDRW), Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) is all sent to send 159 containers of 155mm artillery shells, M4A2 propelling bag charges, M82 primers, and PDM fuses to Ukraine. This massive haul will be shipped to Ukraine through Poland over the coming weeks.
The Economic Times reported that Project Shipping – a Pakistani shipping and brokerage firm – will transport the consignment from the Karachi Port to the Gdansk Port in Poland later this month with a ship named BBC Vesuvius.
This move by Pakistan comes even as it continues to ignore requests for ammunition and weapons from Russia. According to media reports, western countries will help Pakistan with supplies and the upgradation of some of its Western military equipment in exchange for assistance to Ukraine.
The military assistance that Pakistan may receive includes Ukrainian expertise to upgrade its Mi-17 helicopters.
Pakistan has had deep military and industrial ties with Ukraine in the past. The two countries have shared a close relationship in the defence sector since Ukraine gained independence by breaking away from the erstwhile Soviet Union in 1991.
Ukraine had sold weapons and military equipment worth nearly $1.6 billion to Pakistan between 1991 and 2020. These include more than 320 T-80UD tanks along with a fully formed ecosystem for their maintainence, usage, ammunition and spare parts.
If reports are to be believed, Pakistan has also clinched a deal woth $85.6 million with Ukraine for repair and maintenance of its fleet of T-80UD tanks.
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