Estonia’s defense minister resigns after disastrous ammunition deal

Estonia’s defense minister, Hanno Pevkur, is stepping down after the country paid €70 million for artillery shells intended for Ukraine, only to find that the ammunition was unusable.

The deal has intensified scrutiny of Estonia’s state defense investment center, RKIK, which manages defense procurement. The ammunition never reached Ukraine after the first agreement was signed in 2024. When a shipment eventually arrived, it could not be used.

The company that signed the contract with Estonia is owned by Indian interests and registered in Italy. Eesti Ekspress reported that it had never produced a single artillery shell before the agreement. Despite the missing first shipment, RKIK later signed another contract with the same company.

Pevkur announced his resignation after four years in office. His departure followed a critical report from Estonia’s national audit office that identified serious problems and several unclear issues in the use of defense funds across the Defense Ministry, the armed forces and RKIK. Opposition politicians had called for him to resign.

In an interview with Estonian broadcaster EER, Pevkur said he carried the highest responsibility for the agencies under criticism and therefore had to accept political responsibility. He rejected personal responsibility for the ammunition failure, saying he had been informed about the procurement but had not read the contracts. “The defense minister does not negotiate contracts. The defense minister does not count socks or ammunition. The defense minister makes the key decisions to support Ukraine. Preparing contract negotiations and procurements is RKIK’s responsibility,” he said.

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The defense minister does not negotiate contracts. The defense minister does not count socks or ammunition. The defense minister makes the key decisions to support Ukraine. Preparing contract negotiations and procurements is RKIK’s responsibility.