Czech Republic is ready to further search for ammunition for Ukraine

The Czech Republic fully complies with its promises as part of its initiative to provide Ukraine with ammunition, but it needs funds from partners to continue this initiative.

This was stated by the Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic, Jana Černochová, at a briefing in Prague, Rubryka reports, referring to Ukrinform.

"Both the president and the prime minister clearly declared a promise regarding 500,000 units of ammunition, we will fully fulfill our promise by the end of the year," the head of the Ministry of Defense emphasized.

At the same time, she added that if the partners have the will and desire for Prague to continue to play an intermediary role in the issue of the purchase of ammunition for Ukraine in third countries, the Czech Republic "needs further financial contributions, which will make up the budget for the purchase of military material for the benefit of Ukraine." This topic will be discussed at the NATO summit, including in bilateral meetings and on the sidelines.

The minister noted that she would like more ammunition to be purchased, and informed that she knows where they can still be found and purchased if there is enough money.

Černochová generally noted that the Czech initiative replaces the fact that Europe is still unable to be competitive in this aspect even after 2.5 years since the start of a full-scale war in Ukraine.

"We overslept. And with this munitions initiative project, we are buying time," said the head of the Czech Defense Ministry. At the same time, she noted that the industry's capacity is gradually increasing, and some factories, including in the Czech Republic, are already working in three shifts.

According to Černochová, she consulted with Czech arms manufacturers, who assured her they have opportunities to support Ukraine. Černochová did not specify the full amount of military aid that the Czech Republic has already provided to Ukraine and the plans but noted that "there is still something to transfer."

The Prime Minister of the Republic, Petr Fiala, emphasized that the initiative was made possible thanks to Czech know-how, which enabled the search for ammunition and its safe delivery to Ukraine.

"We are ready to continue this… until the ammunition production capacity in Europe increases, which we, unfortunately, have all neglected," the head of government said.

As reported, the first batch of ammunition as part of the Czech initiative has already been delivered to Ukraine. At the beginning of the year, the Czech Republic announced that it had found 800,000 ammunition, of which 500,000 were of 155 mm caliber.