Partners to Help Ukraine Produce 1 Million 155mm Shells Annually

Ukraine, together with its partners, is developing the capability to produce over 1 million 155mm artillery shells per year.

Rustem Umierov, Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, announced this, according to the Ministry of Defense.

The day before, he participated in a videoconference of EU defense ministers with the participation of Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

During the discussion, Umierov called on partners to prioritize procurement from Ukraine’s defense industry, particularly in the field of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).

“Ukraine is ready for large-scale joint production and supply – both to meet frontline needs and, in the future, for European armies,” he noted.

Another priority for Ukraine is the production of 155mm artillery ammunition.

“In 2022, Ukraine did not produce this caliber. Today, together with our partners, we are developing the capacity to produce over 1 million shells annually. This is a tangible contribution to strengthening overall European resilience,” Umierov added.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is also open to cooperation in other critical areas: artillery systems, air defense, and electronic warfare (EW) equipment.

The main topic of the videoconference was the European Union’s new defense initiative, SAFE (Security Action for Europe), with a total budget of €150 billion. The Ministry of Defense noted that the initiative opens the door for Ukraine’s full integration into the European defense-industrial space.

“Our weapons are Europe’s weapons. Over the past three years, Ukraine has increased its defense production volume from $1 billion in 2022 to $35 billion (€31 billion) in 2025. This is the result of joint efforts and enormous internal potential,” the Ukrainian minister stated.

Production of 155mm shells in Ukraine

Ukraine started its own production of 155mm artillery shells in September of last year, as announced by Oleksandr Kamyshyn, Presidential Advisor on Strategic Industries.

Information about efforts to launch the production of 155mm shells in Ukraine was released in early June 2023. At that time, a Joint-Stock Company Ukrainian Defense Industry spokesperson announced it.

Already by early August 2024, it was reported that the Joint-Stock Company Ukrainian Defense Industry had completed testing of 155mm artillery ammunition and was preparing for mass production in the second half of 2024.