Czech initiative supplies 400,000 shells to bolster Ukraine's defense
By the end of April, Ukraine is set to receive another 400,000 artillery shells, which have been sourced through a Czech initiative from undisclosed sources. An expert quoted by PAP believes that the crisis related to the shortage of this type of ammunition in the Ukrainian armed forces has been temporarily averted.
The Czech initiative responds to the severe shortages of artillery ammunition that Ukraine faced. It was announced during last year's Munich Security Conference. At that time, the Czech President, Petr Pavel, revealed that his country had the capability to acquire 500,000 rounds of 155 mm calibre ammunition and 300,000 rounds of 122 mm shells. Eighteen countries, including Poland, joined the initiative.
Czech efforts to help Ukraine
"The Czech ammunition initiative is ongoing, and by the end of April, we will deliver 400,000 pieces of large-calibre ammunition to Ukraine," said Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova on Czech television.
The Czech Republic managed to procure more ammunition than initially planned. From the end of June 2024, when the first shipments arrived in Ukraine, to the end of December 2024, Kyiv's arsenal was enriched by 1.5 million pieces of artillery ammunition. Among them were 520,000 rounds of 155 mm shells, which were the most needed. The Czechs do not disclose the sources of the ammunition.
Shells essential for Ukraine
155 mm shells used in NATO typically contain between 9 to 10 kilograms of TNT. Their range depends on the howitzers they are fired from. In some cases, they can hit targets within a range of up to 24 kilometres, but in the case of howitzers with a barrel length of 52 calibres (e.g., the Polish Krab), the range increases to just over 30 kilometres (as the shells are given higher velocity). If Ukraine also receives more expensive versions of such shells with a gas generator, the range is then about 30% greater.
Andrzej Kiński, the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Wojsko i Technika," stated in a conversation with PAP that thanks to the Czech initiative (and support from other countries through separate aid packages and a slight slowdown in front-line activities), the problem of the shortage of basic artillery shells in the Ukrainian armed forces no longer exists. According to the expert, "the most pressing issue is the lack of missiles for air defence systems."
