Sweden Breaks Anti-war Doctrine, Delivers Shoulder-Fired Missile Launchers to Ukraine

Sweden broke its doctrine of not sending weapons to countries in active conflict and decided to deliver AT4 anti-tank missile launchers to Ukraine.

“A Ukrainian soldier is now equipped with Swedish-supplied AT4 light anti-tank weapon. 5,000 will be delivered, and if 20% of those score a hit at some point, a thousand Russian vehicles will be destroyed,” Carl Bildt, Co-Chair, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and former Swedish President, said in a Twitter post Sunday.

Sweden broke its doctrine of not delivering weapons to warring countries on February 28. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson announced that her administration will be shipping 500 anti-tank weapons Bofors AT-4, 135,000 field rations, 5,000 body armour and 5,000 helmets.

Sweden had abandoned its neutrality stance at the end of the Cold War, and has remained 'non-aligned' and outside the military alliance. The country is not a member of NATO, but has been a partner to the alliance since the 1990s.

The AT4 is an 84 mm unguided, portable, single-shot, disposable anti-tank weapon built by Saab Bofors Dynamics.