Germany to send Ukraine 180,000 artillery shells via Czech initiative
PHOTO CAPTION: Ukrainian servicemen of the 126th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade fire a D-30 howitzer towards Russian troops at a position in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kherson region, Ukraine March 12, 2024. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty/Serhii Nuzhnenko via REUTERS
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will support Ukraine with 180,000 rounds of artillery shells as a contribution to a Czech-led plan to buy ammunition for Ukraine, with a price tag of 576 million euros ($618 million), the defence ministry said.
The most pressing need for Ukraine two years after Russia's full-scale invasion has become artillery ammunition, which is running low as the sides use heavy cannon fire to hold largely static, entrenched positions along the 1,000-km (620-mile) front line.
Last month, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced a 478 million euro aid package for Ukraine, excluding the support for the Czech ammunition initiative.
"The total value of both support measures is therefore over one billion euros," a spokesperson for the ministry told Reuters.
More countries have been signing up to the Czech initiative to source hundreds of thousands of rounds from outside Europe for Ukraine.
Germany's share will account for 40% of the initiative, the ministry said.
(Reporting by Riham Alkousaa, Editing by Rachel More)
