Media: The EU has prepared a plan to increase the production of shells against the backdrop of deliveries to Kyiv

The European Commission has developed a plan to multiply the production of artillery shells, including the NATO standard 155-millimeter caliber, against the backdrop of increased arms supplies to Ukraine. Spiegel writes about it.

According to the publication, the discussion of this measure is connected, among other things, with the state of the defense complex of the European Union itself, whose ammunition stocks have decreased due to the transfer of aid packages to Kyiv.

“The first fundamental part of the plan provides for an immediate increase in the supply of ammunition to Ukraine, especially 155mm artillery shells. The second part provides for the joint purchase of 155-millimeter ammunition by the European Defense Agency in order to fill gaps in the stocks of EU countries and ensure the supply of Ukraine in the long term, ”the publication quotes fragments of the document.

In addition, according to journalists, in order to implement such a plan, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, may propose to allocate an additional package of military assistance to Ukraine worth one billion euros.

Meanwhile, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed that Paris is in talks with Ukraine about the possible training of Ukrainian pilots in Poland. He also noted that the authorities of the republic have repeatedly said that they have no taboo on the possible transfer of military aircraft to Kiev, while, he added, shells of 155 mm caliber for Caesar howitzers remain a priority for Paris. They are supplied to Ukraine by the French side.

Previously, Parlamentskaya Gazeta looked into exactly what kind of military assistance Western states are providing to Kiev, including the supply of tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, towed guns, air defense systems, and precision-guided munitions.

Read also:

• What gifts Biden brought to Zelensky • The Pentagon will study the data on the misuse of military assistance to Ukraine • NATO plans to supply antidotes for sarin and soman to Ukraine