The Minister of Defense of Estonia, Hanno Pevkur, announced on Wednesday that he will resign from his position. The decision comes after it was revealed that the government used European Union funds to purchase artillery shells for Ukraine from companies without prior experience in the production of these weapons.
The Estonian public broadcasting post ERR reported on Wednesday that the government had concluded in 2024 an agreement for the purchase of artillery shells for Ukraine, paying in advance 70 million euros from the EU’s European Peace Fund to finance the purchase, reports news.ro.
However, the companies involved have never sold any artillery shells before. Estonia is now contesting the contracts in a case pending before the European Court of Arbitration in Strasbourg.
Hanno Pevkur commented on the scandal when he announced his resignation on the public television station ETV. He stated that, as a minister, he must take responsibility for the entire domain under his authority.
“Although the minister does not count socks and ammunition, nor does he lead contractual negotiations, the criticisms of the Court of Auditors, which primarily target the activities of the Defense Forces and the Defense Investment Center, raise the issue of political responsibility,” said Pevkur.
Last month, the National Audit Office of Estonia criticized the country’s defense spending, including the investments made by its armed forces. It also expressed concerns about the Estonian Centre for Defence Investment, the national military procurement agency.
Referring to the contracts concerning artillery, Pevkur emphasized that he has not read them, stating that traditionally, the defense minister does not get involved in the details of individual procurement contracts.