Ukrainian soldiers prepare artillery shells in Bakhmut (Photo: AFP).
The European Union admitted on January 31 that it would not achieve its target of sending 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine by March, but only half.
Speaking after a meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels, the bloc's top diplomat , Josep Borrell, said about 52% of the promised artillery shells would be delivered by March.
The EU said the initial target of 1 million shells is expected to be achieved by the end of this year.
The 1 million-round target was set to meet Ukraine's need for 155mm artillery shells, which have become a key weapon in the fierce war of attrition between Ukraine and Russia.
Mr Borrell explained why the EU failed to deliver on its promise: "Initially (production) had a certain inertia, but once things got going, they were able to accelerate."
According to the EU's foreign policy chief, artillery shell production capacity in Europe has increased by 40% since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war and is expected to reach 1.4 million shells per year by the end of 2024.
The European Defence Agency has signed 60 framework contracts for the joint purchase of 155mm ammunition, Mr Borrell told reporters.
"These contracts have a spare capacity of an estimated 1.5 million rounds. Ukraine needs more support and that is the message I have conveyed to the member states: You have to do more and do it faster because on the front lines the fight is fierce," he said.
In addition, EU defense ministers agreed to train an additional 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers, in addition to the previous 40,000, according to Mr. Borrell.
Western officials appear to be concerned that increased Russian production of artillery shells will make efforts to retake Ukrainian territory even more challenging. Ukraine relies heavily on Western ammunition as its Soviet-era arsenal dwindles.
Some estimates suggest that Russian factories could deliver 2 million artillery shells this year, a number that could create overwhelming superiority on the battlefield.
According to expert Stephen Bryen at the Center for Security Policy and the Yorktown Institute (USA), the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows that the West's defense production capacity is not prepared for a major war.
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