Czechia has gathered the funds necessary to send 800,000 much-needed artillery shells from its existing armory to Ukraine.
“We have provided the financing for some 800,000 rounds of ammunition for Ukraine,” Czech President Petr Pavel announced on Thursday as reported by MTI.
According to Czech state television, 18 countries have joined the Czech-led initiative.
Pavel told a security conference in Munich last month that his country had “found” 500,000 155mm and 300,000 122mm rounds of ammunition that could be delivered to Ukraine within weeks if funding for the ammunition was secured.
Norway has contributed NOK 1.6 billion, or €140 million, to the initiative. “Ukraine urgently needs large quantities of artillery ammunition to counter Russia’s offensive war,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Störe.
The Norwegian prime minister said that it was urgent Ukraine had access to ammunition because the lack of firepower was currently the main limitation on Kyiv’s ability to defend itself “against very brutal attacks.”
