Czech-led artillery initiative boosts Ukrainian defenses
By the end of April, Ukraine is set to receive another 400,000 artillery shells, sourced discreetly through a Czech initiative. An expert quoted by PAP believes that the crisis concerning the shortage of this ammunition type within the Ukrainian armed forces has been temporarily alleviated.
The Czech initiative aims to address the severe artillery ammunition shortages Ukraine was experiencing. It was announced during last year's Munich Security Conference. At that point, the Czech President, Petr Pavel, declared that his country could acquire 500,000 rounds of 155 mm calibre ammunition and 300,000 rounds of 122 mm shells. Eighteen countries 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. This included 520,000 rounds of the crucial 155 mm shells. 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 with howitzers featuring a barrel length of 52 calibres (such as the Polish Krab), the range increases to over 30 kilometres (as the shells achieve higher velocity). If Ukraine also receives more expensive versions of such shells with a gas generator, the range is then about 30% greater.
Andrzej Kinski, the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Army & Tech," mentioned in a conversation with PAP that due to the Czech initiative (and support from other countries via separate aid packages and a slight lull in front-line activities), the issue of a shortage of basic artillery shells in the Ukrainian armed forces has been resolved. According to the expert, "the most pressing issue is the lack of missiles for air defence systems."
