TNT shipments to Ukraine at stake as NATO supplies diverted to Israel for Gaza bombardment, report says
on Google
TNT shipments to Ukraine from NATO allies have been disrupted as supplies are diverted to Israel for its campaign against Gaza, a report released by the Palestinian Youth Movement on Nov. 18 says.
"According to initial reports, this ammunition was supposed to be destined for Ukraine, but in December 2023, the U.S. government announced that shells worth $147 million would also be sold to Israel," the report reads.
The TNT supplies are used in larger ammunition, including much-needed 155mm rounds. With Europe only having one large-scale TNT plant in Poland, the supply chain is strained amid growing demand.
Following closures of factories in the U.S. and Europe, Washington has imported 90% of its TNT from Poland, Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said, according to the report.
Meanwhile, with U.S. military aid for Ukraine in question in the early months of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, Kyiv counted on European support amid an ammunition shortage.
"These bombs and artillery shells have been exported in their tens of thousands by the U.S. to Israel, where they have been widely deployed in Gaza," the report reads.
Kyiv relies on domestic production and shipments of materiel from its allies as Russia continues to wage its war against Ukraine.
On Aug. 27, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Europe can now produce six times more artillery shells annually than it could two years ago.
Europe's defense industry has been criticized for being slow and inefficient since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Production bottlenecks have delayed the delivery of weapons and ammunition to Kyiv, prompting Ukraine and its allies to enhance the efficiency of the defense industry.
