Ukraine’s allies have collected all the financing needed for the Czech-initiated purchase, said President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel. The necessary amount was reached after Norwegian authorities promised €140M for Prague’s initiative, which has been joined by 18 other countries, TV channel ČT24 reported.
The projectiles are planned to be delivered to Ukraine within a few weeks. Exact timelines will depend on contract and delivery schedules and may vary. The EU ministers of defense and foreign affairs are expected to discuss the initiative’s details later this week, during which an agreement should be reached. Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Canada are among those who have already joined the Czech Republic’s initiative.
On March 1, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic Jan Jireš said that the first batch of artillery shells the Czech Republic has sourced for the Armed Forces may arrive in Ukraine in a few weeks.
According to several estimates, Ukraine needs at least 200,000 shells every month to continue fighting Russian forces.