Despite the Czech President’s statements, the international community has financed only a third of the 800,000 shells promised for Ukraine.

Deník N reported on this with reference to Czech National Security Advisor Tomáš Pojar, who coordinates the ammunition procurement project.

“Mr. President was probably talking about the first delivery, we have not yet covered the entire initiative,” Tomáš Pojar told reporters.

Subsequently, the Prime Minister of the country Petr Fiala also confirmed the news about the unfinished project.

“So far, we have managed to raise enough money to purchase the first batch of 300,000 artillery shells,” he wrote on his social media.

A day earlier, on March 7, Czech President Petr Pavel said that the initiative to purchase 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine is fully funded.

Czech initiative to help Ukraine

President Pavel announced the possibility of purchasing artillery shells for Ukraine from third countries at the Munich Security Conference in mid-February.

According to the Czech President, the country’s representatives managed to find about 500,000 155-mm artillery shells and 300,000 122-mm shells abroad.

The British newspaper Financial Times wrote that the total value of such contracts could be in the range of $1.5 billion. Czech officials did not comment on the value of potential deals.

According to Tomáš Kopečný, Government Commissioner for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, the delivery of ammunition to Ukraine will take several months. He emphasized that the money from the partners was promised, but it is not yet on the accounts of the entities that will purchase the ammunition.

In addition, Kopečný also announced plans to expand the initiative, which will be announced after the first 800,000 artillery shells are financed.

“As soon as we manage to raise a larger amount of money, we will be talking not only about 800,000 shells, (…) but about a much larger amount of ammunition that we can deliver. It regards not only the existing ammunition, but also about the ammunition that will be produced in the coming months and years,” said Kopečný.