The European Union presented a plan to increase the production of artillery shells

The European Commission passed the Ammunition Production Support Act (ASAP), aimed at increasing the supply of artillery shells and missiles for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as increasing the production capacity of the EU. About it reported on the EC website.

EC President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement that EU countries are already supplying Ukraine with additional munitions from their existing stockpiles with the support of a new EUR 1 billion European Peace Fund. In addition, the EU allocated an additional 1 billion euros for the purchase of shells for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“Today we are working on the third track: increasing and accelerating the industrial production of ammunition in Europe… Together with Member States, we will mobilize another 1 billion euros to increase capacity throughout Europe,” she said.

According to the EC release, it is also proposed to allocate 500 million euros from the EU budget for these purposes.

The funds will be used to optimize, modernize and expand existing and create new production facilities, the formation of new cross-border industrial partnerships in this area, as well as the modernization of ready-made ammunition.

According to Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, this plan will allow increasing the production capacity of the association to 1 million shells per year for Ukraine in 12 months.

Earlier in mid-April the EU approved a program for the supply of shells for the Ukrainian army for 1 billion euros through the European Peace Fund. Under it, Member States will be reimbursed for the cost of ammunition transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine from existing stocks or by reprioritizing orders between February 9 and May 31 this year.

At the end of March, it was reported about plans for joint purchases by EU countries of a million 155 mm artillery shells for Ukraine for a total amount of about 2 billion euros.

On February 20, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the consumption of shells in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict exceeds the industrial capabilities of Western allies, and delays in obtaining large-caliber ammunition have increased from 12 to 24 months. In this regard, he called on European countries to increase the production of ammunition.