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Pavel: Allies collect required funding to purchase 800,000 shells for Ukraine

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Pavel: Allies collect required funding to purchase 800,000 shells for Ukraine
Czech President Petr Pavel looks on while attending the Italian-Czech Business Forum in Milan, Italy. (Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images)

Czech President Petr Pavel said on March 7 that after Norway had joined the Czech-led allied initiative on purchasing 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine, the required funds were collected, Czech outlet CT24 reported.

As $60 billion in aid for Ukraine from the U.S. remains stalled in Congress, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to face critical ammunition shortages.

Prague launched its military aid initiative in February, as it had found 500,000 155 mm shells and 300,000 122 mm shells outside Europe that could be sent to Ukraine after the necessary funds were allocated to the initiative.

Pavel said 18 countries participated in the Czech-led allied initiative, and "within weeks," Ukraine would get the ammunition.

Norway was the last contributor, allocating 1.6 billion Norwegian kroner ($153 million) to the initiative. Other contributors, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Latvia, and Canada, had publicly committed to the initiative earlier.

The next step for the Czech government will be to conclude a memorandum and establish mutual relations with contributing states, according to Pavel.

"Now everything will depend on our companies’ and the defense ministry's abilities to speed up the whole process (of delivering aid)," Pavel said.

Amid the ammunition shortage, Ukraine has already withdrawn from Avdiivka, a key front-line city in Donetsk Oblast, on Feb. 17 and from other nearby villages weeks later.

Ukrainian soldiers near Kupiansk prepare for potential Russian offensive
Editor’s note: The Kyiv Independent is not disclosing the full names of soldiers due to what they cited as security concerns and their unit’s protocol amid the war in Ukraine. KHARKIV OBLAST — As Russia rolls past now-occupied Avdiivka further west, other parts of the front have seen quieter days.…
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Kateryna Hodunova

News Editor

Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

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