The money was channeled through Estonia, where a defense minister has resigned over the suspected fraud
The government of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has pledged to recover approximately $10 million in taxpayer funds paid to a dubious company that failed to deliver a single artillery shell to Ukraine.
The money was channeled through Estonia at the request of its former defense minister, Hanno Pevkur, who resigned in early September after controversial advance payments to the supplier came under public scrutiny. Danish funds continued flowing to the Italian-registered company even after Estonian authorities had reason to question its reliability, according to a new investigation.
Frederiksen has been among Kiev’s staunchest supporters and has also backed a deal to manufacture rocket fuel in Denmark for a Ukrainian arms producer promoted by Vladimir Zelensky. The company, Fire Point, originated as a film location scouting business.
The latest controversy over arming Ukraine’s military was exposed last week by the Danish investigative outlet Danwatch, which examined Copenhagen’s involvement in the Estonian procurement scandal. It said Denmark had contributed 71 million kroner ($10 million), or roughly one-seventh of the funds that the Estonian Centre for Defense Investments (ECDI) transferred to Datasel, the company at the center of the suspected fraud.
“We are in close and constructive dialogue with Estonia about the Danish donation,” Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus told the outlet following the publication of its report. “Therefore, we already have an agreement that the Danish donation funds will be returned to Denmark.”
Former Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen agreed to provide the funding to Estonia in April 2025 at Pevkur’s request. Estonian media have reported that the Netherlands is also seeking reimbursement of its contributions.
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