Sweden joins Czech initiative to supply ammunition to Ukraine.

Sweden will join the Czech Republic's initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine from third countries, allocating 30 million euros for this purpose. This was stated in a declaration published by the Swedish Embassy in the Czech Republic.
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Sweden will join the Czech Republic's initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine from third countries, allocating 30 million euros for this purpose. (Picture source: US DoD)

Sweden announced the 15th and largest aid package to Ukraine, amounting to 7.1 billion Swedish kronor (approximately 683 million dollars). But that's not all, as the Swedish embassy in the Czech Republic announced on Facebook: "Sweden participates in the Czech initiative to provide Ukraine with the much-needed artillery ammunition, with a contribution of 30 million euros (approximately 755 million CZK)."

Czech President Petr Pavel stated on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that Prague had found, beyond the EU borders, about 800,000 artillery shells (500,000 shells of 155 mm and 300,000 shells of 122 mm) that EU members could purchase for Ukraine. Several nations have already supported the initiative.

The Czech Initiative for Ukraine is a multinational effort aimed at providing essential artillery ammunition to Ukraine by purchasing 800,000 shells of various calibers from non-EU countries. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced a contribution of 100 million euros to this initiative, following a meeting in Paris aimed at strengthening support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion. The initiative has attracted the interest of some 15 countries and focuses on the urgent search for artillery ammunition on global markets for Ukraine.

France, led by President Emmanuel Macron, has also joined this initiative, highlighting its usefulness and confirming Paris's participation. Macron mentioned that the EU's European Peace Facility fund could partially finance the Czech purchase plan, emphasizing the goal of finding the necessary ammunition for Ukraine, regardless of its origin. However, Macron insisted on the importance of focusing on supporting the European defense industry rather than purchasing finished military equipment from outside the bloc.

The Russo-Ukrainian war has evolved into a true "artillery duel," highlighting the crucial importance of ammunition in this conflict. According to European Union estimates, Ukraine was using between 4,000 and 7,000 artillery shells per day last summer, while Russia was launching over 20,000 daily into Ukrainian territory. At times, the number of shells fired by Russia even reached between 20,000 and 50,000 per day.

This massive consumption of shells illustrates why the EU's joint ammunition purchase project and other international initiatives are urgently needed. The current production cannot keep up with the intense pace of use on the battlefield, where Ukraine is depleting its artillery reserves faster than its allies can produce and supply them. The 155 mm caliber shells, in particular, are in high demand, and the EU estimates that Ukraine needs at least 357,000 of these shells per month to effectively support its military objectives. However, the current production capacity of EU factories is about 450,000 of these shells per year, well below the needs.

The critical situation of artillery shell stocks in Ukraine, combined with the limited production capacity, makes the efforts to increase the supply of ammunition to Ukraine not only urgent but also vital for Ukraine's ability to maintain its defense and pursue its military objectives against Russian aggression.