Ukraine needs million artillery shells – Reznikov

During an informal meeting with EU Defense Ministers in Sweden, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov stated that Ukraine needs a million artillery shells.

The statement was released on the website of the Council of the European Union.

“I will discuss our priorities with my partners, the EU Defense Ministers. And again, the number one priority is air defense systems, as well as ammunition, ammunition, and, once again, ammunition. Therefore, I support the initiative of the Minister of Defense of Estonia, Hanno Pevkur, on 1 million 155mm caliber shells. Also infantry fighting vehicles for the ‘iron fist,’ and more tanks like Leopard, and we will be ready for the counteroffensive,” Reznikov said upon arriving at an informal meeting of defense ministers in Stockholm.

He emphasized that “time saves lives,” so decisions should be made as quickly as possible.

“We need a million artillery shells. This will probably require about €4 billion,” the minister said, answering journalists’ questions.

Currently, most of the European Union countries have agreed to a plan developed for the rapid provision of artillery ammunition to Ukraine, which might be delivered within a few weeks.

Militarnyi previously reported that as of today, all the countries of the European Union, except for Denmark and Norway, have joined the initiative. It entails joint procurement of ammunition, along with its quick delivery to Ukraine.

The EU also should present a plan that would not only ensure the supply of ammunition to Ukraine but also replenish the own stocks of European countries. This plan involves the allocation of €1 billion from the European Peace Fund, used to reimburse the costs of purchasing weapons.

This plan comprises three stages:

The first step suggests the immediate increase in the delivery of ammunition to Ukraine, in particular the 155 mm artillery shells.

The second step covers a joint purchase of 155 mm ammunition by the European Defense Agency (EDA) to fill the gaps in the stocks of EU countries and ensure the long-term supply for Ukraine.

The third step is intended to secure the long-term increase in European ammunition production capacities to consider the changed security situation.

EU defense ministers are expected to discuss the proposals at the informal meeting this week. The decisions might be made already at the next Summit of Heads of State and Government on March 23-24.