EU should accelerate supply of ammunition to Ukraine and it will do so – Borrell

The EU should speed up the supply of ammunition to Ukraine: in the Bakhmut direction alone, Ukrainian troops need 1,000 artillery shells daily.

Source: This was stated by the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, after the meeting of EU foreign ministers with their Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, European Pravda reports.

Details: Borrell said Kuleba told his EU colleagues at a meeting in Stockholm that Kyiv needed more support to defend against a Russian invasion.

Quote: "Of course, we must speed up the support. He (Kuleba – ed.) gave me only a figure: in the Bakhmut area, where the fighting continues, Ukraine needs about 1,000 artillery rounds per day. 1,000 per day, just in Bakhmut. [It's just a figure] to give [you] an idea of the intensity of the fighting and Russia's firepower and how the Ukrainians can withstand this continuous and systematic bombardment," Borrell said.

Asked how the EU could speed up supplies, Borrell said member states would have to turn to their own stocks and overcome logistical difficulties.

Quote: "I am sure that the conversation with Minister Kuleba will be conveyed to the capitals by the ministers of foreign affairs. I asked everyone to convey this message to the ministers of defence. The flow (of ammunition – ed.) continues.

It will likely increase because we have financial opportunities. It is not a question of funding; it is a question of logistics. However, you know, war is about logistics. Today, if we do not supply Ukraine with ammunition, Ukraine will be unable to defend itself. We will accelerate," Borrell promised.

In March, EU ministers approved a plan worth at least 2 billion euros to supply Ukraine with 1 million artillery munitions and missiles within 12 months.

The plan allows EU countries to supply shells from their stocks and jointly place new defence orders.

Borrell said that Ukraine especially needs long-range munitions "because the Russians bomb from afar." "Ukrainians should be able to reach... the same range," Borrell noted.

Speaking before the meeting, Kuleba also said that long-range artillery ammunition would be at the centre of the discussion.

On Saturday, Germany announced 2.7 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine, the largest aid package since the Russian invasion, and pledged further support.

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