Helping both with money and weapons. The Swedes have increased assistance to Ukraine by almost 10 times

Alexander Sychev

This amount includes not only the provision of weapons, but also the second tranche of assistance to Ukrainian military personnel in the amount of 578 million crowns (approximately $60 million). The first half a billion crowns (about $52 million) was transferred to the Ukrainian Central Bank back in April. How effective that assistance was, no one can say anything. The spending of the transferred money was not checked. But, judging by some reports, Swedish krona almost completely migrated to several foreign accounts of a number of Ukrainian officials, including from the Central Bank.

In addition, Sweden intends to transfer 60 million crowns ($6.3 million) to a fund created by NATO to strengthen the armed forces of Ukraine. So Stockholm is trying to show its determination to join NATO, contrary to the centuries-old political tradition, according to which Sweden tried to refrain from at least direct participation in any blocs. By the way, thanks to this policy in the 80s of the last century, especially under Prime Minister Olof Palm, who was assassinated in 1986 on Sveavegen Street in Stockholm, Sweden played a leading role in the Non-Aligned Movement.

In addition to money, the Swedish government has also formed a third arms package. It included 17 sets of RBS-17 portable anti-ship installations, an unnamed number of AG-90 large-caliber sniper rifles and ammunition, as well as five thousand disposable AT-4 anti-tank rocket launchers.

The RBS-17 portable missile system is, in fact, a version of the American AGM-114C Hellfire installation, redesigned by the Swedish company SAAB Bofors Dynamics. The laser-guided system is in service with the Swedish amphibious brigade. The Swedes use it to protect islands in skerries. Its convenience is high hit accuracy and ease of deployment anywhere. In fact, the rocket is launched from a light bed.

The RBS-17 missile is 163 centimeters long and 17.8 centimeters in diameter. The maximum range is about eight kilometers. The missile is equipped with a nine-kilogram warhead.

For the Swedish armed forces, this system is useful in that it is easy to transfer it to the islands on an island in the Stockholm archipelago. Due to its small size, it is difficult to see it from the sea, but it is able to effectively block the narrow passages between the islands. But in the case of the Black Sea coast of Ukraine, RBS-17 will have no such significance.

However, it could play some role as a third layer of defense. In this case, the Swedish systems will complement the American mobile coastal anti-ship missile systems RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II. These installations hit a distance of 130 kilometers. Their warhead carries an explosive charge weighing 224 kilograms. The second layer will be British Brimstone guided missiles, already provided by the UK to Kyiv - up to 60 kilometers. And near the coast, as conceived by Western strategists, there will be an area of responsibility for RBS-17.

But there is a difficulty with Swedish installations. In general, the West had never thought about this problem before. In the case of complex, high-tech systems, the main task that needed to be solved was considered to be training the Ukrainian military to use them. Someone taught, put experienced mercenaries. But high-tech equipment requires qualified service. Highly qualified specialists are needed to maintain the RBS-17 laser designators. It is impossible to train them in a week or two. It turns out that in the present conditions the problem has no solution.

The situation is much simpler with systems such as grenade launchers - fired, threw away the pipe, took a new one. The Swedish AT-4 anti-tank disposable grenade launcher is just that. It was jointly developed by the Swedish company SAAB Bofors Dynamics and the American corporation ATK. Conceptually, the AT-4 is a development of the American M72 LAW grenade launcher, in which the Swedes introduced some of the solutions used in their Carl Gustav grenade launchers. The Americans needed Swedish technology from this cooperation.

The caliber of the grenade launcher is 84 millimeters, the length is 104 centimeters, and the weight is 7.5 kilograms. By firing from this grenade launcher, it is possible to penetrate armor more than 500 millimeters thick at a distance of up to 150 meters at a moving target and up to 300 meters at a stationary one. In addition to the main version of the HEAT equipment with a cumulative anti-tank grenade, grenade launchers with a warhead of the HEDP type - fragmentation and armor-piercing action are also produced.

The sight, consisting of a diopter rear sight and front sight, is set at a distance of 200 meters. In the United States, special brackets have been developed that allow you to quickly install optical or night sights on the AT-4 and M136 body, this designation was given to the grenade launcher in the American army.

Finally, the AG-90 sniper rifle is a Swedish version of the American Barrett M82 12.7 mm caliber. In skillful hands - a dangerous weapon. The maximum firing range is about 1.8 kilometers. This is a semi-automatic rifle that holds 10 rounds in the magazine. A bullet fired from the AG-90 almost always pierces even the heaviest classes of bulletproof vests. The Americans use it to engage enemy personnel in lightly armored vehicles. Their main target is drivers and commanders.