NATO concluded contracts for the purchase of about 220,000 155 mm artillery ammunition worth €1.1 billion. Some of them can be sent to Ukraine.
Reuters writes about it.
"Russiaʼs war in Ukraine has turned into a battle for ammunition, so it is important that allies replenish their own stockpiles as we continue to support Ukraine," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
The agreement was made on behalf of several allies, who will either transfer the shells to Ukraine or use them to replenish their own depleted stocks. Wholesale purchases guarantee lower prices. The first deliveries of projectiles are expected at the end of 2025, they will be produced by the French company Nexter and the German Junghans.
- In March 2023, EU member states promised to increase the supply of artillery shells to Ukraine, as the troops at the front faced a shortage of them. The countries agreed to a plan that included the supply of ammunition from their stockpiles and joint orders for the production of projectiles. The goal is to deliver one million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine within a year.
- At the end of November 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, announced that the European Union had transferred almost 300,000 artillery ammunition to Ukraine out of the promised million.
- Earlier, Politico wrote that the key obstacle to delaying the projectiles is slow production. First, against the background of demand, the cost of production has increased significantly. It now costs €8,000 to produce the simplest 155 mm projectile — compared to €2,000 before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Secondly, there are now 14 modifications of these shells, and NATO countries should standardize their parameters. The process has already started, but it will take some time.
- On January 11, 2024, the spokeswoman of the European Commission, Johanna Bernsel, assured that the European Union will be able to produce one million rounds of ammunition for Ukraine by the end of this winter.