Lithuania to Invest in Ukraine’s Palianytsia Hybrid Missile-Drone

Lithuania plans to invest in Ukraine’s Palianytsia missile-drone, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced in a social media post on Friday, Dec. 20.

The importance of rapid weapons development in the Russo-Ukrainian War was brought home on the same day, as Moscow targeted Ukraine’s capital with ballistic missiles.

Palianytsia – whose successful testing was confirmed by the president on Ukraine’s Aug. 24, Independence Day  – have already entered mass production and are expected to help the Ukrainians strike back at Russian airfields and other strategic sites from which the Russians launch attacks on Ukraine, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov wrote in an op-ed for LB on Dec. 4.

The hybrid missile-drone – named after a traditional Ukrainian bread that’s famously difficult for Russians to pronounce – will help Ukraine strike military targets in Russia with its own means rather than relying on allies’ acquiescence, Umerov wrote.

As per presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak in an interview with NovynyLIVE, the Palianytsia is expected to have an estimated range of 600-700 kilometers (373-435 miles) –  a range nearly twice as far as the American-made ATACMS missile, which can reach about 300 kilometers (186 miles).

Lithuania’s investment in Palianytsias is part of a larger €10 million ($10.4 million) investment to be made according to the “Danish model” – that is, Lithuania will invest directly into Ukraine’s domestic military production rather than sending over weapons, Shmyhal said after meeting with visiting Lithuanian counterpart, Gintautas Paluckas.

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“Following the Danish example, Lithuania has become the second country among our partners to implement this approach,” Shmyhal said.

This focus on direct investment in arms production is called the “Danish model,” as Denmark, a NATO member, was reportedly the first to do so on June 14.

Ukrainian and Lithuanian defense industries are already working together intensively, Shmyhal said.

“Lithuania is a co-leader in the humanitarian and combat demining coalition, making a significant contribution to the coalition of drones, the air defense coalition, and the IT coalition,” Shmyhal said.