Latvia Delivers 21 Patria 6x6 Transport Vehicles to Ukraine Under Baltic-NATO Cooperation.

Latvia has transferred its final tranche of locally produced Patria 6x6 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine during a ceremony at Ādaži. The delivery highlights growing Baltic industrial capacity and NATO’s collective effort to sustain Ukraine’s protected mobility under wartime strain.

The Latvian Ministry of Defense announced on November 5, 2025, that Latvia announced it would hand over the final tranche of Latvian-produced Patria 6x6 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine during a ceremony at Ādaži on November 6. The delivery comprises 21 vehicles equipped with NATO-caliber 12.7 mm machine guns and ammunition, plus spare parts, special tools, a containerized mobile workshop, maintenance documentation and battle-damage repair kits. Riga noted the Cabinet has approved a total of 42 vehicles for Ukraine and emphasized that support will continue alongside training.
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Latvian-built Patria 6x6 armored personnel carrier combines STANAG Level 2 to 4 protection, a 12,7 mm machine gun, 700 km range, and all-terrain 6x6 mobility to move Ukrainian troops safely under drone and artillery threat (Picture source: Latvian MoD).

These APCs come off Latvia’s new line at Valmiera, operated by Defence Partnership Latvia, the Patria-led joint venture established to localize full-cycle production and sustainment under the multinational CAVS program. Patria opened the Valmiera facility in May 2024, and by August 2024 the first Latvian-made 6x6 had already been handed to the National Armed Forces at Ādaži, anchoring a domestic supply chain now feeding Ukraine’s protected-mobility needs.

The Patria 6x6 is a modern troop carrier built around survivability and mobility. The baseline offers STANAG 4569 Level 2 ballistic and mine protection with optional upgrades to Level 4; maximum combat weight is 24 tonnes with an 8,500-kg payload. The platform exceeds 100 km/h on road, has an operating range beyond 700 km, climbs 60% gradients, handles 30% side slopes, crosses 0.6-meter obstacles and 1.2-meter trenches, and can be configured for amphibious operations at 6 to 8 km/h. Seating typically covers a crew of two or three plus a full infantry squad, with growth room for mission kits.

Power comes from the Scania DC09 five-cylinder diesel rated around 294 kW, paired to a 7-forward/2-reverse automatic ZF transmission. An independent double-wishbone suspension, optional hydropneumatic springs and central tire inflation system support high cross-country speed on mud and snow, while the vehicle’s straightforward architecture keeps through-life costs low and maintenance simple for field mechanics.

Latvia’s 12.7 mm-armed configuration gives Ukraine a protected-mobility workhorse for assault group movement, convoy escort and casualty evacuation under drone and artillery threat. The inclusion of spares, specialized tools, a mobile workshop and battle-damage repair kits is a combat-credibility multiplier, allowing forward repairs after FPV or fragmentation hits rather than lengthy depot cycles. Modularity lets Kyiv reconfigure hulls for command post, mortar carrier with 120 mm systems such as NEMO, recovery or counter-UAS sensor roles without breaking the sustainment model.

The handover also plugs Ukraine into a wider NATO parts and upgrade ecosystem. Patria’s 6x6 underpins the Common Armoured Vehicle System, now joined by Finland, Latvia, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Norway and the United Kingdom. That breadth translates into shared components, multiple vendor sources and long-term upgrade pathways, a strategic hedge against attrition.

Latvia’s decision fits a consistent two-year pattern. Riga delivered Stinger man-portable air defense systems on February 23, 2022, ahead of the full-scale invasion, then followed with four helicopters in August 2022 and six M109A5Ö 155 mm self-propelled howitzers that were quickly fielded by Ukrainian units. Training support has remained constant, with the MoD listing extensive curricula for Ukrainian personnel alongside equipment transfers.

Looking forward, Latvia has codified a multi-year pledge to sustain assistance at 0.25% percent of GDP by 2026 and says 2025 support will reach 0.3%, with a growing share sourced from Latvian industry and the UK-Latvia-led Drone Coalition that is pushing tens of thousands of FPV systems to the front. Industrial depth is expanding too: Riga and Rheinmetall agreed in September to build a domestic artillery-ammunition plant able to produce tens of thousands of shells annually, a capacity relevant to both NATO stockpiles and Ukraine’s attritional fight.

Latvia borders Russia and views a robust Ukrainian defense as forward deterrence on NATO’s northeastern flank. In that context, moving locally produced armored vehicles, air-defense missiles and drones is prudent risk management that hardens the seam between the Baltic states and a revanchist neighbor.

For Ukraine, the immediate payoff is protected mobility with a NATO sustainment spine. For Latvia, today’s handover proves that a small ally can deliver at scale from its own line, shorten repair cycles and learn from battlefield feedback. As Defence Minister Andris Sprūds put it, the donation both supports Ukraine’s defenders and “tests the durability and capabilities” of Latvian-made vehicles in real combat conditions, precisely the kind of learning loop Europe needs.