Slovenia to help purchase shells for Ukraine

18 March, 2024 155mm artillery rounds. Photo credits: Brian E. Christiansen/Flickr

Slovenia will join the Czech Republic's initiative to purchase and supply artillery shells for the Ukrainian Defense Forces outside the European Union. The Ministry of Defense of Slovenia announced this on social media. Thus, Slovenia will join other countries that have already supported the Czech initiative to jointly purchase and quickly deliver large-caliber ammunition to Ukraine.

For this purpose, the Slovenian government has allocated one million euros as part of its contribution. President Pavel announced the possibility of purchasing artillery shells for Ukraine from third countries at the Munich Security Conference in mid-February.

155mm artillery shells. Photo from open sources

According to the Czech President, the country's representatives managed to find about 500,000 155-mm artillery shells and 300,000 122mm shells abroad.

To date, more than 15 countries have committed to finance the purchase of artillery shells. Among them are Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Lithuania, France, Norway, as well as Canada and Sweden and Portugal. Currently, representatives of the Czech Republic do not comment on the cost of potential deals for the purchase of artillery shells as part of military assistance for Ukraine.

According to Tomas Kopecny, Government Commissioner for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, the delivery of ammunition to Ukraine will take several months. In addition, Kopecny also announced the plans to expand the initiative, which will be announced after the first 800,000 artillery shells are financed.

155-mm projectiles of the Ukrainian military. Photo credits: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Subsequently, the Czech Republic announced the possibility of purchasing another 200,000 artillery shells for Ukraine.

Militarnyi also recently reported that, in addition to the Czech ammunition procurement initiative, Ukraine wants to implement two more such campaigns by the end of the year and is already working with partners to finance them.