Finland and Sweden step up military aid to Ukraine ahead of winter

The first snow of the year has already come to parts of Ukraine. 

It turns the thick, wet mud of autumn -- churned by boots, tracks and tyres -- into a freezing quagmire that seeps inevitably through clothing, and into the bones of soldiers ill-equipped to face the changing seasons. 

In Finland and Sweden, the militaries know a thing or two about extreme cold weather combat, and how to battle the elements. And with an eye on the weather, the two Nordic nations have announced their biggest packages of military aid for Ukraine to date. 

"It is important that we keep supporting Ukraine and providing it with the means to end the war," said Antti Kaikkonen, Finland's minister of defence. 

"Ukraine is fighting and defending its independence and freedom, it's right to help assist Ukraine in this situation. That's why Finland and most European countries help," he told Euronews in an interview. 

The tenth -- and latest -- Finnish defence package is valued at €55.6 million, bringing the combined value of all defence material earmarked for Ukraine to €160.4m since the start of the war. 

The Finns are notoriously tight-lipped about what exactly they've been providing -- "it is for security and op-sec reasons," said Kaikkonen -- but the minister does explain a bit more about the process involved. 

"We get a list from Ukraine, and we consult them when we are building these packages. Of course, at the same time, we tell them we have this and this which we could donate. And through discussions, we are able to make the packages," he said. 

While some countries have been more open about what weapons systems they've given to Ukraine, the Finns see no need to flag to the Russians what they're supplying. 

"It is the Finnish way to keep quiet," said