Ukraine set to receive 500,000 artillery shells through Czech initiative

Ukraine is poised to receive 500,000 artillery shells by the end of 2024 through a Czech initiative aimed at procuring munitions from third countries.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala made this announcement during an interview with the Czech media, affirming, "We are achieving our goal of sending 500,000 large-calibre shells to Ukraine." 

He reiterated that military support for Ukraine, particularly through the provision of such ammunition, will continue without interruption, Caliber.Az reports.

Fiala emphasized that the Czech Republic is working closely with Denmark and the Netherlands on this initiative. He expects that by 2025, a substantial number of countries will join the effort to supply artillery shells to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, based on their respective capacities.

In addition, Fiala highlighted the critical need for energy assistance to Ukraine, especially as winter approaches and many energy infrastructure facilities have been damaged.

Earlier, the prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Denmark, and the Netherlands have committed to extending the ammunition supply initiative for Ukraine, originally launched by Prague, into 2025. 

This agreement was made public on October 17, in a statement shared by Fiala on the social media platform X, which also included endorsements from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

Fiala called on other nations to join this initiative, stating, "This is in the interest of the security of all of Europe."

By June, a coalition of 18 countries, including Germany, Canada, and Portugal, had collectively raised $1.8 billion (€1.66 billion) to procure 500,000 munitions for Ukraine, specifically focusing on large-calibre artillery and tank shells.

The urgency behind these supplies stems from a need to reaffirm long-term commitments to Ukraine, particularly in light of the EU's failure to deliver one million shells by the end of March.

Prime Minister Schoof added that countries are looking to dispatch more large-calibre artillery shells to Kyiv. The Netherlands will contribute over €271 million specifically for these shells, stating, "In this way, we are helping Ukraine sustain its ammunition reserves until 2025 and encouraging growth in the European defence industry."

By Tamilla Hasanova