Czech Republic says 20 countries contribute money to buy half a million artillery shells for Ukraine

The Czech Prime Minister announced that 20 countries have pledged to contribute enough money to buy half a million artillery shells for Ukraine at Prague's initiative.

"This initiative is not a one-time project. Our goal is to create a long-term system of supplying ammunition for heavy weapons. This will help change the situation on the front line," Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on April 16, referring to the Czech-led effort to raise funds to buy ammunition from outside Europe for Ukraine.

According to Mr. Fiala, about 20 countries have joined the Czech initiative, including Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. He said that Ukraine could receive the first batch of artillery shells under the initiative in June.

“Thanks to them, we are now able to deliver half a million shells. We are confident that there will be further deliveries,” Mr Fiala said. “There is no reason why the donors cannot deliver another million shells in the next 12 months.”

155 mm artillery shells produced at Rheinmetall's factory in Germany in June 2023. Photo: Reuters

The British newspaper FT once reported that the parties could spend up to $1.5 billion to buy 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine under the Czech initiative. However, Tomas Kopecny, the Czech official in charge of Ukraine, estimated on April 16 that the cost of these shells was nearly double the figure given by the FT.

Mr Kopecny said the Czech Republic acted as an intermediary in the initiative, approaching countries that could manufacture suitable ammunition and then connecting them with Western countries that would place orders and pay for them.

The Czech Republic would then organize logistics, shipping the goods from this country or a third country to conceal the origin so that Russia would not be angry with the supplier.

Ukraine is facing a shortage of weapons and military supplies, including artillery shells, as aid from the West dwindles. This has forced the Ukrainian army to retreat from many areas as it is overwhelmed by Russia in both firepower and numbers.

Nguyen Tien (According to AFP )

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