Czech ammunition scheme for Kyiv faces funding shortfalls – NATO official

BRUSSELS, Feb 11 (Reuters) – A Czech initiative sourcing ammunition for Ukraine aims to secure shells worth five billion euros ($5.95 billion) globally but has only managed to raise 1.4 billion euros so far, a senior NATO military official said on Wednesday.

The programme, involving foreign donors including Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands alongside Czech defence officials and arms companies, seeks to acquire large-calibre ammunition for Ukraine to reduce its disadvantage on the battlefield against Russia.

In December, NATO’s Ukraine mission, NSATU, projected the initiative would deliver 1.8 million artillery rounds in 2025, constituting 43% of all ammunition supplied to Kyiv, and roughly 70% of the legacy Soviet calibre ammunition.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted 16 billion euros worth of ammunition were available on the global market currently.

NATO is targeting a five-billion-euro expenditure focused predominantly on acquiring hundreds of thousands of artillery shells under the Czech scheme, the official said, adding that 1.4 billion euros had been committed by donors so far.

Last year, donors gave around $4.8 billion to pay for ammunition supplies under the programme, former Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said in December. The Czech contribution has been up to 3 billion crowns ($145.15 million).

($1 = 0.8398 euros)

($1 = 20.6680 Czech crowns)

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold in Brussels and Jan Lopatka in Prague; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)