After Norway has donated 22 M109 howitzer 155mm artillery guns to Ukraine, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense (MOD) said that Norway does not follow how Ukraine uses these heavy weapons.
The following questions were sent to the press officer at the Ministry of Defense on 20 June:
Have Norwegian soldiers contributed to the training of Ukrainian artillery soldiers in Ukraine, in addition to Germany?
Does Norway know if any of the M109 guns have been used to set fire into civilian areas in, for example, Donetsk?
What kind of agreements has Norway made with Ukraine regarding the use of the guns to prevent civilians from being shot at?
What international law assessments has Norway made before these heavy weapons were donated?
Has Norway considered the possibility that Norwegian weapons may be involved in war crimes?
How many of the Norwegian howitzers are active in combat, and how many have been destroyed by the Russians?
How many Ukrainian artillery soldiers operating Norwegian M109 have been killed by Russian fire?
How many Russian soldiers have been killed by Norwegian artillery fire?
The Ukrainian army has a major challenge with artillery ammunition. How many grenades were given together with the M109 howitzers, and how many are Norway willing to donate?
Has this affected Norway’s operational defense capability? Do the new Korean guns use the same ammunition as the M109?
Have any of the M109 howitzers been taken over by Russian armed forces?
Special Adviser in the Ministry of Defense Birgitte Syvertsen Frisch answers shortly on the same day:
“Norway has donated 22 M109 howitzers and a number of 155 mm grenades to Ukraine. The purpose is to enable the country to defend itself against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked attacks. Norway assumes that Ukraine uses the material in accordance with international law. We do not follow Ukraine’s use of the material. The donation is not at the expense of Norway’s defense capability. The government is currently considering further donations of military equipment to Ukraine.”
The following follow-up questions were sent, but the Norwegian MOD does not wish to provide further answers:
Thanks for the reply. The fact that the MOD writes that “Norway assumes that Ukraine uses the material in accordance with international law“, does that mean that Norway has no agreements on the use of the donated howitzers with Ukraine?
Has Ukraine signed documents in which it undertakes to use the material in accordance with international law?
What does Norway think about Ukraine’s artillery shelling of the civilian population in Donetsk and elsewhere in Ukraine?
Does Norway think this shelling is in line with international law?
Has Norway made any independent assessments of Ukrainian violations of international law?
What kind of factual basis does the MOD have when they claim that this donation has not been at the expense of Norway’s defense capability? What is the Armed Forces’ total stock of artillery shells?
See this dramatic Twitter video from Donetsk from what could have been a Norwegian 155 mm artillery shell
Donetsk resident filmed the powerful blow of a NATO shell in her house courtyard
People inside miraculously remained safe and sound#Donetsk #UkrainianArmy #NATO https://t.co/mTmBHiDSU0 pic.twitter.com/BxbXTXBX44
— Readovka World (@ReadovkaWorld) June 20, 2022
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Kristian Kahrs describes himself as a former NATO aggressor and warmonger in Kosovo, turned into a warrior for peace, democracy, and freedom of speech. Kristian is a Norwegian living in Belgrade, Serbia, and there is more about him on his website ohrabrenje.com, the Serbian word for encouragement, where you can sign up for his newsletter. Also, follow Kristian on Gab, Telegram, VK, and his Duran Locals profile.
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