Solutions to win: EU sends Ukraine 224,000 shells under one-year ammunition plan
The EU has delivered Ukraine 223,800 shells under the first part of a plan to provide a million artillery rounds to aid Kyiv's fight against Russia, DW reports.
Earlier this year, the EU pledged to step up supplies of much-needed artillery shells to Ukraine as Kyiv's forces faced shortfalls.
What is the problem?
The second part of the plan is aimed to provide one million artillery shells. The European Defense Agency is negotiating joint contracts with European manufacturers for the purchase of 155mm shells and missiles.
(The Agency – Ed.) expects that framework contracts with the (defense – Ed.) industry will be signed in the coming weeks, allowing member states to place orders, the EU press service statement said.
To be included in the EU procurement plan, all contracts must be signed by the end of September.
What is the solution?
According to the first part of a plan to provide one million artillery shells to help Kyiv counter a full-scale Russian war, the EU has already supplied 223,800 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine.
EU member states have delivered about 223,800 artillery munitions – long-range self-propelled, precision-guided, and mortar munitions – and 2,300 missiles of all types, the EU spokesman Peter Stano emphasized.
How does it work?
EU member states pledged to increase the ammo supply to Ukraine this spring, as Ukrainian forces faced a shortage of ammunition they desperately needed.
EU members agreed to a two-billion-euro plan to raid their stockpiles and place joint orders for shells in a bid to deliver Ukraine a million shells over 12 months.
Overall, the total value of the ordnance provided was 1.1 billion euros, the EU said. EU funds reimbursed only part of that, suggesting the measure fell short of the target.
In February, several EU capitals were already skeptical about vowing to hit a million, fearing they would fall short.
Under the second part of the plan, the EU's defense agency is negotiating joint procurement contracts with European manufacturers for 155-mm howitzer shells and missiles.
The EU and its member states say they have spent about 20 billion euros on supplying Ukraine with various weapons since Russia's full-scale invasion.
The US, according to the Pentagon data, has allocated more than $43.7 billion in security assistance to Ukraine as of July 25.
The state will continue negotiating with Ukraine on needs of Ukrainian forces and ensuring the supplies in the future.
Regarding the urgent need for 155 mm ammo during Russia's full-scale war, the US intends to increase its production to more than 80,000 per month in 2024.
The day before, US President Joe Biden asked Congress to allocate about $40 billion in additional spending. Out of this, $24 billion is earmarked for expenses related to Russia's war, including assistance to Kyiv and other international needs related to the aggression.
