(Dan Tri) – European allied countries are forced to take advantage of all the resources they have, from increasing production shifts to increasing budgets to meet the increasing demand for military equipment on the front lines of Ukraine.
DITA artillery vehicle at a weapons factory in the Czech Republic (Photo: Reuters).
`We have to speed up. We have to deliver more weapons and faster,` General Onno Eichelsheim, head of the Dutch army, urged staff during a visit to a factory that produces artillery and vehicles.
The European Union (EU) along with other allies are also trying to find ways to increase the amount of weapons aid to Ukraine, a country that is running out of ammunition due to constantly having to use firepower to maintain the 1,000km long front line.
In March 2023, this alliance even set a goal of providing one million artillery shells to Kiev within 12 months.
Challenges surround
During a meeting with EU foreign ministers last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Ukraine needed 2.5 million artillery shells this year but the EU only sent 400,000.
`The challenge of the need for ammunition and air defense systems is weighing heavily on supporting countries. Kiev needs about 75,000-90,000 artillery shells per month to maintain defenses and 200,000-250,000 to be able to organize attacks.
Responsibility for sourcing ammunition is currently a hotly debated topic within the EU.
The Netherlands has also been `quite busy in the past months`, trying to make up for Ukraine’s shortage of artillery shells.
The Netherlands has allocated about 271 million USD to buy ammunition for Kiev, and asked allies to contribute to a cooperation plan with the Czech government.
France and Germany are said to be considering joining the proposal.
Ukraine’s needs do not stop at artillery shells.
Later this year, Denmark and the Netherlands plan to transfer US-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, in addition to 100 anti-aircraft guns and 105 T-72 tanks.
Pavel Doško, CSG’s Defense Land Systems Sales Director, said the company has added hundreds of employees to meet production schedules.
