Czech PM Reveals Classified Information on Ammunition Supplies to Ukraine

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš disclosed classified information about the supply of ammunition to Ukraine as part of the Czech Initiative.

České noviny (ČTK) reported on this.

There are concerns that revealing this information could jeopardize the security of the people and companies involved.

Babiš, who stands against military aid to Ukraine, stated that CZK 280 billion had passed through Czech companies as part of the ammunition supply initiative to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

He also mentioned that Aleš Vytečka, the director of the Agency for Intergovernmental Defense Cooperation (AMOS), which coordinates the initiative, provided this information.

“The Czech budget secretly invested CZK 17.1 billion in weapons, all of this was hidden, all of this was top secret,” Babiš said.

In response to journalists’ questions, Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček clarified that the ammunition initiative involved CZK 114 billion, while another CZK 160 billion had been used in a similar manner.

“There is also a donor. To put it simply, this is approximately CZK 280 billion, rounded up, which were transferred to individual donors as part of the ammunition initiative and this system, and the products reached Ukraine,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala criticized the public statements about the details of the initiative.

“This person (Babiš) doesn’t know what he is doing. Talking publicly in more detail about the ammunition initiative means putting at risk the security of the people and companies involved, not to mention the economic damage…” the politician stated.

The Czech Initiative has been in operation since April 2024. The program involves the purchase of shells from third countries and their delivery to Ukraine. The Czech Republic serves as the coordinator, searching for global ammunition supply opportunities and negotiating international funding. The purchase of ammunition is primarily funded by other countries, such as Germany, Canada, and the Netherlands.

Last year, Ukraine received 1.8 million rounds of ammunition under the initiative. Over the entire period, more than four million artillery shells have been supplied.