The European Union has delivered 223,800 shells to Ukraine as part of the first phase of a plan to provide one million artillery shells to help Kiev counter Russia, a spokesman said on Friday, according to AFP.

In March, the EU approved a two-billion-euro plan to send Ukraine one million 155mm shells from member states’ stockpiles this year and to fund joint purchases of ammunition for Kyiv.

Ukrainian troops are complaining of a shortage of ammunition as they try to drive Moscow’s troops out of occupied territories in a counteroffensive launched in early June.

As part of the first phase of the plan, which will run from February 9 to May 31, €1 billion has been set aside to reimburse EU member states for around half the cost of munitions delivered from their existing arsenals.

“Member countries delivered around 223,800 artillery munitions (long-range self-propelled artillery, precision munitions and mortar munitions) and 2,300 missiles of all types,” EU spokesman Peter Stano said.

According to the EU, the total value of the delivered ammunition is 1.1 billion euros.

The goal of 1 million shells is a long way off

At the end of May, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, announced that 200,000 shells had been delivered to date.

The European Union and its member states appear to be a long way from reaching the goal of one million shells by next spring.

In February, several European capitals expressed skepticism about the possibility of supplying a million shells.

According to the second part of the plan, the EU defense agency is negotiating joint procurement contracts with European manufacturers of 155 mm ammunition.

The EU “expects that framework contracts with industry will be signed in the coming weeks, allowing member states to place orders from then.”

Any contract must be concluded by the end of September to be included in the EU supply plan.

In total, the EU and its member states say they have spent around €20 billion on arms supplies to Ukraine since the February 2022 Russian invasion.

According to the Pentagon, as of July 25, the United States has allocated more than $43.7 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.

On Thursday, the White House asked Congress for an additional $13 billion in new military spending for Ukraine. (Photo: DreamsTime / Swati Mohan)

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