Germany ordered another 68,000 artillery shells for Ukraine

Germany will supply Ukraine with additional 155 mm artillery shells as part of military aid. For this, the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag approved a framework agreement with the French ammunition manufacturer. This framework agreement provides for the possibility of manufacturing and delivery of up to 350,000 large-caliber artillery shells.

As part of the framework agreement, the French company has already received an order from Germany for the production of 68,000 HE-Frag shells for the Armed Forces of Ukraine worth EUR278 million. The funds are allocated from the German budget. Other countries can also join the framework agreement, as this project is part of the European Union's initiative to accelerate the delivery, procurement and production of ammunition for Ukraine.

Production of artillery ammunition at one of the Rheinmetall plants.

Photo credits: Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions

It regards increasing European ammunition production in the long term so that EU member states can replenish their ammunition stocks. The German specialized publication Hartpunkt suggests that the order for the production of shells was received by the French enterprise of the defense company NexterKNDS. As previously reported, at the beginning of December, Rheinmetall won a new order to supply Ukraine with artillery ammunition worth EUR142 million.

Tens of thousands of 155 mm artillery shells were ordered by an unnamed NATO country. The artillery shells will be produced by Rheinmetall Expal Munitions, the Group's newly acquired Spanish subsidiary. The ammunition will be delivered to the Ukrainian Defense Forces in 2025.

Artillery ammunition produced by Rheinmetall Denel Munition

As recently as mid-October 2023, the German government placed an order with Rheinmetall for over 100,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition earmarked for Ukraine, which will also be produced at the facilities of Rheinmetall Expal Munitions.

And in early November, Rheinmetall received an order from the German government to supply Ukraine with around 100,000 rounds of 120mm mortar ammunition.

120mm mortar rounds produced by the Rheinmetall Group

Another framework contract for October provides for the transfer of tens of thousands of 155-mm L15 shells to Ukraine.

Delivery is scheduled to begin in 2024.