Estonian Defense Minister Resigns Over Botched Artillery Deal

Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur resigned on Wednesday following a scandal involving a botched European Union-funded deal to procure 155mm artillery shells for Ukraine. The resignation comes as the Prosecutor’s Office of Estonia conducts a criminal investigation into a procurement process marked by significant delivery delays and the receipt of inferior products.

In 2024, the procurement agency of the Estonian Ministry of Defence made large upfront payments to an obscure supplier to secure munitions during a global shortage. Pevkur described the situation as an "ordinary contract dispute" resulting from the urgency of supporting Kyiv against the Russian invasion.

Political pressure accelerated the resignation after the ruling coalition lost its parliamentary majority in August, making a no-confidence vote likely. The Estonian Ministry of Defence has since filed a lawsuit against the supplier involved in the deal.