Ukraine has received more than one-third of the expected 500,000 rounds of 155-mm shells to be delivered under the Czech initiative by the end of the year, Ukraine's Ambassador to Czechia Vasyl Zvarych said in an interview with CTK news agency published on Oct. 3.
Ukrainian Armor, a private defense enterprise, signed two deals on Oct. 2 with the Czech holding Czechoslovak Group (CSG) to cooperate on the production of 155mm shells, Ukrainian media outlet Militarnyi reported.
The U.S.-based AeroVironment signed an agreement with a Ukrainian company to localize its production of Switchblade 600 loitering munitions, marking the latest of several recent agreements between Ukrainian and foreign companies to produce weaponry in Ukraine.
"In the first half of this year alone, Ukraine produced 25 times more artillery and mortar ammunition than in the entire year of 2022," Zelensky said at the second international defense industry forum in Kyiv.
French-German defense company KNDS has opened an office in Kyiv to support Ukraine carry out the domestic maintenance and repair of weapons systems, the company announced on Oct. 1.
A military aid package that includes ammunition, computers, and logistical supplies will arrive in Ukraine this week, the Lithuanian government announced on Sept. 28. Lithuania has emerged as one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters amid Russia's full-scale war. The Baltic nation has provided Ukraine with helicopters, drones, armored vehicles, and air
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has urged President Volodymyr Zelensky to fire Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, for alleged "election interference" related to Zelensky's visit to a Pennsylvania ammunition plant, Fox News reported on Sept. 25. Johnson alleges that Markarova arranged a taxpayer-funded trip to a
A few issues have been reported with some of the artillery shells received through the Czech initiative, according to German publication Handelsblatt, which cited a letter from Kyiv to Prague. Czechia unveiled the international initiative earlier this year amid Ukraine's shell shortages caused largely by delays in U.S. assistance.
Lithuania has signed a memorandum with American Northrop Grumman Corporation, one of the leading global aerospace and defense technology companies, to produce and supply medium-caliber ammunition, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Sept. 23.
President Volodymyr Zelensky visited a Pennsylvania ammunition factory under tight security on Sept. 22 to personally thank the workers producing some of the most crucial munitions for Ukraine’s defense against Russian forces.
President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, a factory producing critically-need 155 mm shells for Ukraine, during his visit to the United States on Sept. 22.
The Ukrainian drone strike on the arms depot in Russia's Tver Oblast destroyed two to three months' worth of munitions, Estonian Colonel Ants Kiviselg, head of the Estonian Defense Forces Intelligence Center, said on Sept. 20.
Artillery ammunition manufactured in India is being diverted to Ukraine "despite protests from Moscow," Reuters reported on Sept. 19, citing customs data and nearly a dozen Indian and European government and defense industry officials.
The strike destroyed both the storage infrastructure and tons of ammunition that Russian troops were stockpiling for use against Ukraine, Ukraine's Navy said.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski confirmed that Warsaw has not yet participated in the project due to "temporary formal obstacles."
Ukraine already produces its own 155 mm artillery ammunition, said Oleksandr Kamyshin, newly appointed advisor to the President of Ukraine on strategic issues.
"In addition, of course, we use maneuvers with force, reserves, and fire. Thanks to the actions of our government, the president of Ukraine, the minister of defense, we managed to reduce the difference between the ammunition used by us and the enemy," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
The Prague-led ammunition initiative is delivering supplies to Ukraine on schedule, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Aug. 29.
The Scranton plant has upped its output of 155 mm shells from 24,000 rounds per month to 36,000, with the modernization elements likely to contribute to a further increase, factory officials said.
North Korea sent containers to Russia that could contain as many as more than 6 million artillery shells, Yonhap reported on Aug. 27, citing South Korea's military intelligence report.
The Norwegian government will provide Kyiv with its defense technology and finance the production of 155-millimeter artillery shells developed by the Nammo (Nordic Ammunition Company) in Ukraine, according to its Aug. 23 statement.
Warsaw ordered 50,000 155-millimeter shells from the South African company Denel Munition, a subsidiary of the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, in which it holds a 51% stake.
"This is another evidence of the allied trust in Czechia and our ammunition initiative. It is a unique opportunity to support Ukraine while using assets originally belonging to Russia and saving on public finances of European countries," Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova said.
"The 45th package is now in the process of being implemented, which includes, among other things, a significant amount of ammunition for Ukraine," former Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Zvarych said on July 25.
The Czech ammunition initiative secured financing for half a million shells for Ukraine and can gather more if it finds additional donors or finances, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said in an interview with the Kyiv Independent on July 23. Czechia unveiled the international initiative earlier this year amid Ukraine's
Prague is preparing to launch a new initiative to purchase artillery ammunition for Ukraine in 2025, Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova said in an interview with the Deník N newspaper on July 24.
"The intention is to start the ammunition production in Ukraine within 24 months," Rheinmetall said in a statement.
"Some ammunition of certain types, can be provided to Ukraine. This package will also be linked to an agreement with an ally country on compensation, similar to the previous package we sent," Bulgarian acting Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov said.
There are sufficient finances to supply Ukraine with 500,000 shells by the end of the year, though this number could go up to 800,000 "if more financing is secured," Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said.
"It is very important to ensure that in all key directions, we have the means to inflict maximum losses on the enemy," Zelensky said.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry returned to Ukrainian soldiers "a significant amount" of ammunition that had to be disposed before the start of Russia's war against Ukraine in 2014, the ministry announced on July 16.
The governments of Ukraine and Czechia signed two agreements on joint arms production on July 16, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced after the meeting with Czech counterpart Petr Fiala.
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