Czech initiative delivers another 400,000 shells to Ukraine, Prague says
The Czech ammunition initiative had delivered another 400,000 high-caliber rounds to Ukraine as of the end of April, Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova said on April 27.
Speaking on a Czech Television program, Cernochova reiterated that the initiative already supplied 1.5 million rounds of various calibers in 2024 and has enough funds to continue until this fall.
The initiative, backed by contributions from Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, and other countries, has significantly boosted Ukraine's artillery capabilities, Prague said. Cernochova revelead that other countries, such as Belgium, have also shown interest in participating.
The initiative was launched last year amid Ukrainian shell shortages, primarily caused by delays in U.S. military aid in early 2024.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky noted that the initiative had reduced the effectiveness of Russian artillery "by 500%" and improved the shell ratio from 1-to-10 in Russia's favor to 1-to-2.
"I don't want to tie myself down by any numbers," Cernochova said when asked by a news host whether the initiative aims to provide more rounds than last year.
"We will supply as much ammunition as we can find around the world. And we still have enough resources; they are now around an additional 1.5 million (rounds)."
Cernochova added that it will be up to donors whether the initiative will be able to secure and deliver the ammunition to Ukraine in the shortest possible time.
Czechia's leading opposition party, ANO, aims to suspend the initiative if it wins the parliamentary elections in October 2025, ANO's deputy leader, Karel Havlicek, said in January.
Prague has been a strong supporter of Ukraine, supplying military aid, leading EU efforts to secure weapons, and hosting hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees.
Read also: Trump urges Putin to 'stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal' to end Ukraine war
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