The European Defense Agency has signed the first contracts to purchase ammunition for Ukraine, and the EU plans to double the production of artillery shells.

According to the European Defense Agency (EDA), eight signed contracts are for joint ammunition procurement. “We now offer member states viable opportunities to place orders within the industry through the EDA to support Ukraine or replenish their national stockpiles,” said EDA Executive Director Jiří Shedivi.

The ammunition purchased refers to the most common self-propelled howitzers that the EU countries have sent to Ukraine: the French Caesar, the Polish Krab, the German Panzerhaubitze 2000, and the Slovak Zuzana.

In addition, according to the Minister of Defense of Estonia, Hanno Pevkur, the production of artillery ammunition in Europe is planned to be doubled. “We see that European industrial capacity has increased. By the end of the year or the beginning of the next year, we will be able to produce almost twice as much as we did last year,” said Pevkur.