Czech Republic has secured 1.6 million shells for Ukraine and promises to deliver them by April, announced President Pavel.

The Czech initiative for procuring artillery shells for Ukraine from third countries has enabled the delivery of 1.6 million units of ammunition to the front lines.

Source. This information was reported by Czech President Petr Pavel, as conveyed by the BBC.

For exactly one year, the Czech Republic has been raising funds from its NATO allies and subsequently, leveraging its connections in countries that are unwilling to openly support Ukraine, has been purchasing artillery shells from them and supplying them to Ukraine.

According to Pavel, sufficient funds have now been gathered to meet Ukraine's shell needs until April.

The President informed Czech television that he urged colleagues at the Munich conference to continue financing the scheme: “Right now, we cannot afford, so to speak, to take our foot off the gas.”

In October, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced that by the end of 2024, Ukraine would receive half a million shells through this scheme, thereby achieving the initiative's goal.

A source within the Czech government, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained to Reuters that Ukraine received half a million shells of only 155 mm caliber (the main NATO caliber). The remaining ammunition, according to the source, consists of other calibers, but over 100 mm.

It is known that NATO countries' armies are also equipped with artillery of 105 and 120 mm calibers. Ukraine may also have retained Soviet-manufactured artillery, which typically uses calibers of 122 and 152 mm.