EU says it's sent 220,000 artillery shells to Ukraine

European Union nations have supplied 220,000 artillery rounds to Ukraine as part of a groundbreaking scheme launched two month ago to increase ammunition supplies to Kyiv in order to fight off Russia's invaders, the EU Foreign Policy chief said on Monday (22 May).

Josep Borrell said that EU states have also provided 1,300 missiles as part of the scheme. They are on track to reach a goal of providing 1 million pieces within a calendar year, despite some EU countries avoiding approving this goal.

Borrell, who announced the figures after a meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Brussels, told reporters that "the next days will be strategic decisive for the war in Ukraine".

The EU agreed to the ammunition scheme after Kyiv announced that it was in urgent need of artillery shells as Russia's invasion had descended into a war of attrition with thousands of shells being fired every day.

Three elements of the EU plan, totaling at least 2 billion euro, are all linked to financial incentives. The first two elements provide partial refunds on weapons and ammunition that were sent to Ukraine using the European Peace Facility.

The plan was the first time that the EU funded a large-scale, joint procurement of weapons. It also reflected the fact that the EU is now much more involved with military affairs after the Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The plan has three elements. First, it encourages EU member states to send their ammunition stockpiles. Second, it offers incentives to countries for placing joint orders. Thirdly, it helps arms companies increase production capacity.

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Borrell stated that the 220,000 shells provided under the first plan were Borrell. According to officials, the first joint procurement contract under the second plan is expected to be signed this summer.

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