Germany to allocate €20 billion for ammunition procurement

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has said that the German government plans to allocate 20 billion euros for the purchase of ammunition until 2031 to replenish their shrinking arsenal.

He made the remarks in an interview with Der Spiegel.

"Without ammunition, modern weapons systems are of no use, even if they are ready for use on ranges," the minister said.

According to him, a stable supply of ammunition to the German Armed Forces is a priority.

"By 2031, we must and want to invest more than 20 billion euros in ammunition," Pistorius added.

As the publication notes, for years ammunition shortages "have been the norm" for the Bundeswehr.

Ammunition is so scarce that artillerymen in the rear are rarely allowed to conduct exercises with live ammunition. In most cases, the military uses training ammunition.

For a long time, this shortage did not cause concern among German officials, but with the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the problem has become quite acute.