Ukrainian arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom, together with Polish arms manufacturer Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), will produce 125-mm shells for Soviet-era tanks, Reuters reports.

Ukroboronprom plant.Photo: VINCENT MUNDY / Alamy / Alamy / Profimedia

Ukroboronprom said Poland would become the second NATO member state to help Ukraine produce ammunition as the country battles Russian forces that launched a full-scale invasion more than 13 months ago.

“According to the agreement, it is planned to produce a large number of 125-mm ammunition for tank guns on the new production lines,” the company said in a statement. The agreement was signed during the visit of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi to Poland on Wednesday.

Ukraine will provide the technology and send its specialists to the Polish cities where the factories will be located, taking into account the high security risks. Russia carried out long-range airstrikes against targets in Ukraine throughout the war.

Representatives of Ukroboronprom said that Russia constantly attacked weapons facilities, forcing it to move production to safer areas. In February, the company announced that it had begun production of ammunition with a NATO country in Central Europe.

During the war, Ukraine is heavily dependent on the supply of weapons and ammunition from its Western allies. Ukrainian military commanders constantly emphasize the need to increase ammunition on the front line.