Germany to fund buying 180,000 rounds for Ukrainian via Czech artillery ammo initiative

Germany has announced a contribution of 180,000 rounds of artillery shells to Ukraine, costing 576 million euros, as part of a Czech-led ammo initiative, bringing Germany's total recent support to over one billion euros, including a March aid package.

Apr 3, 2024 - 06:50
Germany to fund buying 180,000 rounds for Ukrainian via Czech artillery ammo initiative

The German Defense Ministry has announced that Germany will provide Ukraine with 180,000 rounds of artillery shells as part of a Czech-led initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine, Reuters reports. The total cost of this contribution amounts to 576 million euros ($618 million), as stated by the Ministry.

In the third year of Russia’s ongoing invasion, Ukraine faces a dire shortage of artillery ammunition amid a six-month delay in US military aid and under-delivered EU pledges of a million shells. Both sides heavily rely on artillery fire along the 1,000-kilometer front line.

Last month, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius revealed a 478 million euro aid package for Ukraine, which notably didn’t include support for the Czech ammunition initiative.

The military aid package for Ukraine included artillery and tank ammunition, drones, grenade launchers, mine-clearing vehicles, and other equipment such as reconnaissance drones, Warthog vehicles, WISENT 1 mine-clearing tanks, BEAVER bridge-laying tanks, and a SATCOM surveillance system. Also, in late March, the head of Germany’s situational center on Ukraine revealed that 10.000 artillery rounds from Bundeswehr stocks would be transferred to Kyiv within days.

Announcing the package during a press conference at the Contact Group on Ukraine’s Defense on 19 March, Pistorius said it included 10,000 artillery shells, 100 armored infantry vehicles, 100 transport vehicles, and he also mentioned plans to purchase of 180,000 artillery shells through a Czech-led initiative.

Germany announces new military aid package for Ukraine, including drones, ammunition, vehicles

The total value of both support measures is therefore over one billion euros,” a German Defense Ministry spokesperson told Reuters.

More countries are joining the Czech initiative to secure hundreds of thousands of rounds from outside Europe for Ukraine. The ministry stated that Germany’s portion will represent 40% of the initiative, as per Reuters.

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