FM: Germany to send 500,000 artillery shells to Ukraine As part of EU ammunition boost

Germany will deliver 500,000 artillery shells to Ukraine as part of a broader European Union initiative to supply Kyiv with two million rounds of ammunition, acting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced on April 14.

Speaking to reporters upon arrival at a scheduled meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, Baerbock confirmed Berlin’s contribution, stating: “Germany will provide a quarter of the total,” Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The EU initiative aims to bolster Ukraine’s defence capabilities as the country continues to resist Russia’s full-scale invasion, now in its third year.

Baerbock also indicated that the Luxembourg meeting would likely be her last appearance at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in her current role. Germany is in the midst of coalition talks following recent elections, with the Green Party — to which Baerbock belongs — not expected to be part of the next government.

Her departure would mark the end of a tenure during which she has been one of Ukraine’s most outspoken supporters within the EU.

In parallel, on April 11, acting Defence Minister of Germany, Boris Pistorius, promised Kyiv new military assistance in the coming years, including an additional four IRIS-T systems, 300 guided missiles, and 100 radars. The package will also include 15 Leopard 1A5 tanks, 300 reconnaissance drones, 25 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 14 artillery pieces, and approximately 100,000 artillery shells.

Germany is the second-largest supplier of arms to Ukraine after the United States. Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, Germany has provided Kyiv with various forms of assistance amounting to approximately €44 billion. The Russian side has repeatedly stated that the continuous flow of weapons to the Kyiv regime only prolongs the conflict.

By Aghakazim Guliyev