In June, Ukraine will receive the first significant batch of ammunition under the Czech initiative for the purchase of artillery shells.

The Czech Foreign Ministry officials stated this, according to a European Pravda correspondent from Prague.

Announced in February 2024, the Czech initiative will be able to provide the Armed Forces of Ukraine with 50 to 100 thousand large-caliber shells per month.

“The first physical deliveries to Ukraine will be very soon; we expect them in June,” the Czech Foreign Minister said.

Tomáš Kopečný, the Government Commissioner for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, who is also responsible for the initiative to supply the shells, made the same prediction.

Kopečný expects the volume of shells in the Armed Forces of Ukraine to increase under this initiative.

“The first significant increase in supplies will be in June, it will be in the tens of thousands, between 50 and 100 thousand per month,” the diplomat explained.

These are large-caliber shells, in particular for Soviet-era artillery systems.

Within the Czech Republic’s initiative to supply Ukraine with artillery shells, contracts for the purchase of the first 180,000 rounds of ammunition have already been signed.

About 20 countries outside of NATO and the EU have joined the initiative to purchase artillery shells for Ukraine, financing the purchase with their own funds.

In February 2024, Czech President Petr Pavel announced at the Munich Security Conference that his country had found an opportunity to purchase about 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine.

The country’s representatives found about 500,000 155-mm and 300,000 122-mm artillery shells abroad. Subsequently, the Czech Republic reported that they had located an additional 200,000 artillery shells but did not provide details on the caliber or other details.