Ważny artykuł opisujący skalę braku poczucia pilności w kwestii produkcji amunicji artyleryjskiej w Europie. https://t.co/Xi4DOs9VKe
— Konrad Muzyka - Rochan Consulting (@konrad_muzyka) July 17, 2024
There is no consensus even within the European Commission on the size of EU production capacity. Commissioner Thierry Breton maintains that they amount to 1.7 million 155mm missiles per year. In contrast, his colleague Joseph Borrell, the EU's foreign affairs chief, claims only 1.4 million.
It should also be noted at this point that a significant portion of ammunition is produced by EU countries for their own use. According to Borrell, 40 percent of European production goes outside the EU.
A well-informed source from the armaments industry, in an interview with us, claims that these figures are being sussed out. - There is no question of 1.7 million artillery shells across Europe," we hear from our interviewee. According to him, the capacity for 2024 is less than half a million shells. - Probably 400 thousand, maybe a little less," he adds.
- It is a very bad idea to convince ourselves that we have three times the production capacity and make decisions on this basis. Then suddenly it turns out that nothing comes out of the factories and nothing can be delivered to Ukraine and NATO," the industry representative tells us.
Russia is aware of delays in munitions production in Europe. Intelligence Online, a magazine specializing in describing intelligence services, has reached a report by the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation. It shows that the Kremlin expects Kyiv's Western allies to be able to meet Ukraine's needs only in 2025. It will take them another 15 years to replenish their own supplies.
Ammunition factories are currently under construction in Ukraine. According to Oleksandr Kamyshyn, Ukraine's Minister of Strategic Industries, the country has reached an agreement with two U.S. companies and Germany's Rheinmetall to jointly produce 155mm missiles. The problem is that it will take at least two more years to get these projects up and running.
