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Officials: Ukraine can use Finnish-provided weapons to hit Russian territory

Finland’s Defence Minister says Finland has not restricted Ukraine’s use of weapons it supplied. Finnish Chair of the defense committee agrees Ukraine can legitimately target military sites in Russia.

byYuri Zoria

29/02/2024

2 minute read

Flags of Ukraine and Finland. Illustrative image: Armyinform.com.ua

Officials: Ukraine can use Finnish-provided weapons to hit Russian territory

According to YLE, Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen stated that Finland had not imposed any restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine, noting that limitations on weapon usage have primarily been set by countries providing Ukraine with long-range weapon systems.

“These larger countries, which have, among other things, provided these long-range missile systems, of course they also have a say in how they can be used,” he said.

The Finnish Ministry of Defence informed Yle that Finland has not imposed any restrictions on the use of materials sent to Ukraine.

Finland has not publicly disclosed the specific weapons it has provided to Ukraine, but Finnish Sisu XA-180 armored personnel carriers were spotted on the frontlines in Ukraine.

On 28 February, Col. Andrus Merilo, the incoming commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, told Yle that Western countries made a mistake restricting the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine to Ukrainian territory only.

Jukka Kopra, the chair of the Finnish parliamentary defense committee, stated that Finland has not imposed such restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine:

“According to my information, Finland has not set such restrictions, and Ukraine has the right to use these weapons against military targets also on Russian soil,” he told Yle.

Kopra also says the Ukrainian attacks on the Russian territory are legitimate:

“If necessary, Ukraine should also strike military targets on the Russian side. It is a completely legitimate defensive battle that Ukraine is waging. The UN Charter allows military targets to be attacked across land borders,” said Kopra.

Häkkänen and Kopra advocate for Ukraine to receive more long-range missiles, including Germany’s Taurus missiles, as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is reluctant to supply its Tauruses.

Yle inquired whether NATO countries have provided Ukraine with specific instructions on the use and deployment of military aid. NATO responded that such guidelines are determined by individual member states. NATO maintains that Ukraine has the right to self-defense, which includes the ability to target Russian military installations beyond Ukrainian borders.

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