Train from Italy with 20 howitzers for Ukraine passes through Austria without permit

GENEVA

A train from Italy loaded with 20 howitzers for Ukraine passed through Austria over the weekend, and apparently did not have a permit, Austrian daily Kleine Zeitung reported Wednesday.

The Austrian Interior Ministry confirmed to the Austrian news agency APA on Wednesday that on the part of "the Italian embassy in Vienna, it was communicated that on 15.04.23 a train will carry out a transport of M109 self-propelled howitzers from Italy to Poland."

Transits between EU countries under certain conditions are exempt from authorization and do not require notification or approval, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

"The export is war material, which does not need a permit/authorization according to the Austrian War Material Act under Section 5(2a), and there is an export and import permit from both EU countries for this transport," the spokesman added.

However, according to the Austrian War Material Act, a permit is required for the onward transport of war material to a third country. This is the case here, as the self-propelled howitzers are not intended for Poland, but for Ukraine.

For this reason, the Interior Ministry said it advised the Italian Embassy that "if the war material is to be forwarded to a third country, a permit is required under the War Material Act."

This authorization must be obtained before the transport. If an application is submitted, the law stipulates that the interior, foreign and defense ministries examine it, the Interior Ministry explained.

The transport had already caused a stir in Italy. The train, which was filmed by some people with cell phones on Friday, was traveling at low speed through the Italian station of Udine in the direction of Austria.

As Italian Minister for Relations with Parliament Luca Ciriani told the Italian public broadcaster RAI, the vehicles were "self-propelled artillery vehicles" destined for Ukraine and part of a military aid package decided by the previous government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi and delivered this week.