Donors have given $4.5 billion to Czech ammunition scheme for Ukraine, minister says

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PRAGUE (Reuters) -Foreign donors have provided 93.3 billion crowns ($4.5 billion) to a Czech-led initiative to find and deliver large-calibre ammunition to Ukraine, and the Czech Republic has contributed 1.7 billion crowns, Defence Minister Jana Cernochova said on Wednesday.

Increased ammunition supplies in 2024 and 2025 have helped reduce Ukraine’s disadvantage compared with Russia on the frontline, although it is unclear whether the Czech action will continue under the next government.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala said at a news conference with Cernochova that the Czech Republic has arranged supplies of 3.7 million artillery rounds to Ukraine, including 1.3 million so far this year.

Funding for the supplies has come from the initiative, as well as the yield on frozen Russian assets, bilateral cooperation and direct Ukrainian purchases, he said.

Fiala said this year’s supplies should reach 1.8 million shells.

The programme matches Czech arms producers and traders with potential sellers who often prefer to remain unnamed, and foreign donors.

Andrej Babis, whose ANO party won a parliamentary election on October 3-4 and is in talks to form a cabinet with two fringe parties, has criticised the initiative.

Before the election, Babis said he would bring it to an end, but he has been less clear since his victory and after President Petr Pavel called on parties to keep the programme running.

Babis has, without giving any details, called the initiative non-transparent and overpriced, and said arms traders have made too much profit on it, while the outgoing government has said it is transparent to the donors providing the funding.

Babis said after the election that he would also stop any Czech budget-paid military aid to Ukraine.

The government said on Wednesday that total Czech military aid to Ukraine has reached 17.4 billion crowns, combining donations of 390 pieces of old equipment including tanks or helicopters, contributions to international funding schemes, the ammunition initiative and purchases of new equipment.

In return, the Czechs have received funds and equipment worth 25 billion crowns in back-fill schemes which included U.S. helicopters and Leopard 2A4 tanks from Germany.

($1 = 20.8840 Czech crowns)

(Reporting by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Hugh Lawson)