EU fails to deliver on promises to supply Ukraine with shells – investigation
8 July 2024 15:27
Statements by European officials regarding the production of artillery ammunition do not correspond to the real capabilities of the European Union. This is stated in an investigation by Skhemy and an international consortium of journalists, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
According to the study, the actual production capacity of European countries for 155mm shells is almost half that of the officially declared. This casts doubt on the EU’s ability to fulfil its obligations to supply ammunition to Ukraine.
In March 2024, the European Commission announced that it had reached a production capacity of 1 million shells per year. Later, in June, European Commissioner Thierry Breton announced plans to increase this figure to 1.7 million by the end of the year.
However, according to anonymous sources in the European defence industry, the actual capacity is only about a third of the stated figure – less than 500,000 shells per year.
This information is confirmed by several independent sources, including high-ranking officials in the EU and Ukraine, as well as documents from the Estonian Ministry of Defence and the German company Rheinmetall.
The discrepancy between claims and reality raises concerns about the EU’s ability to provide Ukraine with the necessary ammunition. According to the investigation, as of June 2024, the EU has provided Ukraine with only half of the promised number of shells, and with a significant delay.
Industry experts warn of the risks associated with overestimating production capabilities.
“It’s a very bad idea to convince ourselves that we have three times the production capacity and make decisions based on that,”
– said one of the anonymous sources.
In response to journalists’ inquiries, the European Commission said that its estimates are based on “facts” and take into account “ongoing investments” in the industry. However, the investigation casts doubt on the validity of these claims.
