Ukraine has recently received 50,000 shells as part of a Czech initiative.
This was announced by Czech Defence Minister Jana Černohova, Ceske Noviny reports.
To deliver this batch of ammunition, the Czech Republic cooperated with Germany, which financed a total of 180,000 shells.
According to the minister, out of the 18 countries that have joined the Czech initiative, 15 have promised to allocate funds. Prague signs a contract with each country for the procurement.
The head of the Czech government, Petr Fiala, said that tens of thousands of shells would be delivered to Ukraine every month. Up to 500,000 units are to be delivered by the end of the year, and this figure is currently funded.
Prague, for example, has contributed almost 866 million crowns to its initiative. These funds will be spent on the purchase of ammunition from the Czech company STV Group.
Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine
- At the Munich Security Conference, Czech President Petr Pavel said that his country has found hundreds of thousands of shells for Ukraine, but the project needs funding. Pavel called on allied countries to help raise money for the purchase of weapons.
- A number of countries have agreed to provide funds. Among them are Portugal, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, and others.
- Later, it became known that the Czech Republic had delivered 300,000 shells to Ukraine, which should provide a vital "respite for several months" on the front line.
- Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said that under the Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine, the figure could increase from 800,000 to 1.5 million.
- On the sidelines of the Three Seas Summit in Vilnius, Czech President Petr Pavel said that his country had already identified more than a million pieces of artillery ammunition in countries outside the European Union that could be purchased for Kyiv.
- On 28 May, the Czech Republic hosted a wide-ranging working meeting of several state leaders to discuss Ukraine's arms needs. Among other things, they discussed ammunition.
- At the same time, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that 15 EU and NATO countries had so far provided more than €1.6 billion for the Czech initiative, and that these efforts would "soon improve Ukraine's defence capabilities".