The Armed Forces of Ukraine will receive 105-mm L119 towed howitzers.

Ukrainian artillerymen will be trained to use them by the New Zealand military, The Defense Post reports.

Today, the Government of New Zealand announced its plans to train a small number of Ukrainian soldiers to use the field artillery guns.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stated that her cabinet agreed to deploy up to 30 members of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to Britain to train the Ukrainian artillerymen to use the 105-mm L119 howitzers.

“We have been clear throughout Russia’s assault on Ukraine, that such a blatant attack on innocent lives and the sovereignty of another country is wrong,” said Ardern. “Our response has not only included the condemnation of Russia, but practical support for Ukraine.”

The training of the Ukrainian servicemen by the New Zealand specialists will begin in June and will last until the end of July.

Training of each service team will take about a week, and overall, the training is planned for 230 Ukrainian artillerymen to complete. In total, approximately 30 cannon crews will be prepared.

The training will be coordinated by the United Kingdom, which will provide a flight for the New Zealand troops, ammunition, and other necessary training assistance.

In turn, New Zealand will hand over about 40 cannon sights to Ukraine, as well as a small amount of ammunition for training purposes.

New Zealand had previously deployed a C130 Hercules aircraft and NZDF personnel to Europe to provide intelligence, transportation, and logistics support to Ukraine.

Last month, it was reported that the United Kingdom could hand over the 105-mm light howitzers to Ukraine.

The L119 is a lightweight 105 mm towed howitzer designed to support infantry, airborne troops, and assault teams. The howitzer is manually loaded and can effectively destroy lightly armored vehicles and infantry. The maximum range of the shot, depending on the ammunition, can be from 11,500 to 19,000 meters.