The ammunition that the Czech Republic is buying as part of the ammunition collection initiative for Ukraine is overpriced, a Czech senator has claimed.
Lukas Wagenknecht warned that as a result, Ukrainians are receiving less than they should, but the Czech defense ministry refutes this.
Wagenknecht, a senator from the opposition Pirate Party, called the Czech ammunition collection initiative a “great project”, but said the Czech Republic could not buy better at a better price.
“Unfortunately, the Czech authorities are unable to buy at a better price, which results in the Ukrainian army receiving tens of thousands less ammunition than it should,” he wrote on X.
The Czech upper house MEP referred to the Ukrainian authorities, which he said had confirmed all the information. He said he would have liked to have addressed these “wasteful purchases” at a meeting of the Senate’s public finance committee, but some senators voted to remove the item from the agenda.
The Czech Ministry of Defense reacted to his comment and strongly objected, denying that the ammunition collection initiative launched by the Czechs was wasteful and opaque and that the artillery ammunition purchased was overpriced.
“Senator Wagenknecht has published unsubstantiated information taken out of context. His action jeopardizes the supply of ammunition to Ukraine,” the ministry said.
The Czech foreign ministry continues to insist that Ukraine has the right to defend itself against aggression on Russian territory.
