Ukraine May Receive 1.5 Million Shells as Part of Czech Initiative

As part of the initiative to purchase artillery ammunition, Ukraine may receive 1.5 million shells. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said this during an interview in Prague, Bloomberg reported.

Lipavský noted that the Czech proposal, which provides 800,000 ammunitions outside the EU, has already been successful, even if the much-needed supplies can be made in a few weeks.

“We can do much more than the initially announced number,” the minister said, citing the figure of 1.5 million shells as a potential volume.

The official clarified that funding for the first shipment of ammunition is needed before it can be sent to Ukraine.

“As we can see, this is already helping Ukraine fight better, because they know they will have a supply of fresh ammunition, which has changed their view of the use of current stocks,” Lipavsky emphasized.

More on the Czech initiative

The Czech plan, announced last month at the Munich Security Conference by President Petr Pavel, was accepted by NATO members as a temporary measure. The Czech-led initiative involves the purchase of approximately 800,000 shells from sources outside the European Union.

Lipavský noted that the Czech initiative alone is not enough to support Ukraine. Financing for the first deliveries to Ukraine must be processed before shipping.

While EU leaders have welcomed the plan, some of the bloc’s most prominent countries have yet to make concrete pledges. Conversely, Germany is spending 300 million euros ($325 million) to buy 180,000 shells.

Lipavský declined to say how long the deliveries to the front line would take. However, he noted that the Czech initiative is already bearing fruit, as the much-needed ammunition can be delivered in a few weeks.

Earlier this month, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the supplies would arrive in the “foreseeable future,” not in a few months.

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