Norway donates 22 howitzers to Ukraine

Norway donated 22 self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine, including spare parts, ammunition and other gear, the Norwegian defence ministry said on Wednesday.

"The development in the war in Ukraine now suggests that it is necessary to also donate heavier artillery and weapons' systems," Norwegian Minister of Defence Bjørn Arild Gram said on Wednesday.
Norway has also trained Ukrainian soldiers in Germany on how to use the system, a statement said.
For security reasons, the delivery was not announced in advance, the minister said. The Norwegian Army has recently replaced their M109 artillery guns with new artillery from South Korea.
On the ground, Russia continues to attempt assaults on Severodonetsk from three different directions, although Ukrainian defences are still holding, according to British intelligence analysts.
"It is unlikely that either side has gained significant ground in the last 24 hours," the British Ministry of Defence said in its daily report.
Severodonetsk is one of the last cities resisting Russia's advance as Moscow's troops seek to gain control of the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine. The city also offers strategic advantages, including its location on the Donets river.
Meanwhile, Russia is forcibly introducing the rouble as a legal tender in the occupied Kherson region, the British ministry said. According to the report, Moscow is also employing Russian teachers to introduce the Russian curriculum and language to schools.
"Russia will highly likely claim its occupation of Kherson as evidence of delivering improved governance and living standards to the Ukrainian people," the ministry said.