“EU Urged to Accelerate Supply of Ammunition to Ukraine”

Russia and Ukraine

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, stressed on Saturday that the European Union should accelerate the supply of ammunition to Ukraine, because its forces need 1,000 artillery shells per day in the Bakhmut region alone.

He said that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba briefed his European Union counterparts during a meeting in Stockholm on Kiev’s need for more support to defend itself in the face of the Russian military operation, according to Reuters.

Borrell also told reporters after the meeting that “Ukraine needs about a thousand artillery shells per day” in the vicinity of the city of Bakhmut, where fighting is taking place in the east of the country.

Long range ammunition

In response to a question about how the European Union can speed up supply, he revealed that member states should provide supplies from their own stocks and adapt logistical challenges.

He also added that Ukraine particularly needs long-range ammunition “because the Russians are bombing from a long distance,” stressing that “the Ukrainians must have the ability to reach the same range.”

From Bakhmut (archive from Reuters)

In a speech ahead of the meeting, Kuleba said long-range artillery ammunition would be the focus of the discussions.

Germany had announced earlier, Saturday, a military aid package to Ukraine worth 2.7 billion euros ($3 billion), the largest it has provided since the Russian military operation, and pledged to increase support for Kiev as long as necessary.

From Bakhmut (archive from Reuters)

Millions of artillery shells and missiles

It is noteworthy that the European Union ministers approved in March a plan to supply Ukraine with one million artillery shells and missiles over a 12-month period, at no less than two billion euros ($2.20 billion).

The plan depends on the European Union supplying missiles from its stockpiles and submitting new joint requests.

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