⚡️Prague has successfully concluded negotiations for the supply of 1 million artillery shells to the Ukrainian army, with loads expected to arrive by April. Led by Czech President Petr Pavel, the initiative involved approximately fifteen EU countries. Although official press… pic.twitter.com/5VsIU874tR
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) March 28, 2024
One million artillery shells for Ukraine. Kyiv's army will receive ammunition by April. The Corriere della Sera is in a position to report that the initiative taken by the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, has been successful. No official press releases have been released, but we know that the government in Prague, together with about fifteen countries, has concluded the supply contracts, paying an estimated amount of around 1.8 billion euros.
At first, it was assumed that 800,000 rounds would be purchased: 500,000 for the most used caliber (155 mm) and another 300,000 for 122 mm. In the end, Czech government officials found 200,000 more. It is not known which industries have been contacted, although rumours point to South Korea, Turkey and, possibly, South Africa, among others.
A few weeks ago, Pavel's national security adviser, Tomas Pojar, announced that the first shipments would begin in June. Now it's speeding up: the loads will start by April. Among others, Germany, France, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Belgium, Poland and Canada participated in the collection. Italy is not in the group.
Only a few of these states have declared the amount of the contribution. Sweden, for example, put 32.6 million on the table; Portugal 108, Norway 140. Germany may have paid €156 million. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has been insisting for weeks on the urgency of having more rounds available for the guns placed on the Donbass defensive line. The imbalance of forces in the field is evident: on average, the Russians fire 10 thousand rounds a day, five times more than the Ukrainians.
