Ukrainian troops are going through ammunition faster than it can be replenished and need one million artillery shells.
In February EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell said sending ammunition to Ukraine is the “most urgent issue” and that if they “fail on that, the result of the war is in danger.”
Ukrainian troops are being forced to cut back on the amount of artillery shells they are firing at Russian lines and the shells are becoming more expensive.
Arms manufacturers are demanding larger orders with guaranteed payment before they increase ammunition production.
EU Defence Ministers have met in Stockholm on Wednesday to discuss the issues and are proposing to send around one million shells at an estimated cost of €4 billion.
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Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said his forces needs one million 155 millimetre and 105 millimetre shells, and that Ukraine also requires 90,000 to 100,000 artillery rounds each month to win the war.
Reznikov said that currently, Ukrainian forces are firing around 120,000 a month, which is around a fifth of the rounds they would ordinarily use.
A senior European official told The New York Times that the EU collectively can only produce 650,000 shells a year.
Reznikov called for air defence systems and more tanks, adding, Priority number one is air defence systems — and also ammunition, ammunition, and again ammunition,” in order to achieve their counter-offensive.
He warned that time is a decisive factor so that they can save more lives and “we need to move forward as soon as possible.”
Reznikov said that currently, Ukrainian forces are firing around 120,000 a month, which is around a fifth of the rounds they would ordinarily use.
A senior European official told The New York Times that the EU collectively can only produce 650,000 shells a year.
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