EU has given 220,000 artillery shells to Ukraine since beginning of 2023 – EU Foreign Affairs Representative

Since the beginning of the year, EU countries have already transferred more than 200,000 pieces of ammunition, as well as missiles, to Ukraine, as part of the initiative to provide the country with 1 million projectiles over the year.

Source: Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, during a press-conference following the meeting of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council in its defence configuration

Details: Borrell said that the Council of the EU has approved a three-tracked approach of military aid for Ukraine: member states providing ammunition from their stocks; joint procurement from the European and Norwegian defence industry; and boosting the European defence industry’s production capacity.

"The latest figures are much better than we had just some 10 days ago," Borrell said about the ammunition supplied from the EU member states’ existing stocks.

"I can announce today that thanks to that particular track, member states have provided 220,000 artillery munitions of different calibres, and 1,300 missiles have been provided," Borrell said, noting that this first track will be open until 31 May.

Regarding the joint procurement of new munitions from the European defence industry, Borrell said that "eight of the 24 countries that showed an interest in this initiative have actually confirmed their intention to do this."

"It’s the European Defence Agency that has taken the lead in this action, and there are another two projects, one led by France, another by Germany. The EDA project will receive €1 billion for the purchase of this specific calibre munitions [5mm munitions – ed.]," Borrell explained.

The third track is to boost European industry’s production capacity, and is currently being discussed by key EU institutions.

"We hope that in this way we will achieve our objective of 1 million projectiles for Ukraine over the next 12 months," the EU High Representative concluded.

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