Sweden should support Ukraine with artillery ammunition, building up its own reserves – defense minister

Sweden needs to procure artillery ammunition for itself and the possibility of sending it to Ukraine. 

The capacity of factories must also increase, Rubryka reports, citing the statement of Sweden's Minister of Defense, Pål Jonson, on SVT Nyheter.

"We have good Archer systems, but they are irrelevant without ammunition for firing," he said.

According to the defense minister, Sweden should support Ukraine with artillery ammunition while simultaneously increasing its own stockpile. He called it a challenging situation.

Currently, efforts are underway to negotiate an agreement that will provide Sweden access to the necessary ammunition. According to the manufacturer Nammo, with factories in Sweden, the delivery terms for ammunition currently extend up to six years.

Pål Jonson emphasized the importance of Scandinavian ammunition production facilities increasing their capacities.

"Funds for this are available within the EU. They are seeking EU funds, and then it is expected that we will make partial investments," said the minister.

The Defense Materiel Administration states that intensive work is being done to increase production capacities and the availability of artillery ammunition in Sweden and Northern European countries.

Western countries themselves have faced difficulties trying to meet their own goals regarding the supply of ammunition to Ukraine.

The EU promised to send a million artillery shells by March 2024. However, only "480,000 have been delivered or are in transit," Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, recently said.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the US has provided Ukraine with over two million 155mm artillery shells. However, their own reserves have depleted, leading them to send cluster munitions to Ukraine last summer.

Regarding Ukraine's cooperation with Sweden, on December 5, Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Rustem Umierov, met with the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, General Micael Bydén.

During the meeting, they discussed issues related to the localization of defense production in Ukraine. They also talked about the possibility of supplying Gripen fighter jets to the Armed Forces.

Bydén mentioned that the transfer of Gripen aircraft to Ukraine is being discussed at both political and military operational levels.

Sweden is part of an aviation coalition aimed at providing fighter jets to Ukraine. Ukrainian pilots and ground personnel previously had the opportunity to train on Gripen aircraft in Sweden.

In late May, the Swedish government allowed Ukrainian pilots to undergo training on JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets. They will have the opportunity to practice on simulators and conduct test flights.

Additionally, the Swedish government announced the allocation of SEK 75 million (€6.52 million) from the UNESCO fund for the restoration and reconstruction of destroyed and damaged schools and kindergartens in Ukraine. This includes the provision of shelters.