EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell stressed on Saturday that the EU should speed up the supply of ammunition to Ukraine, since its forces need 1,000 artillery shells per day in the Bakhmut region alone.
He said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba briefed his European Union counterparts during a meeting in Stockholm on Kiev’s need for additional support to defend itself in the face of a Russian military operation, Reuters reported.
Borrell also told reporters after the meeting that “Ukraine needs about a thousand artillery shells a day” near the town of Bakhmut, where fighting is taking place in the country’s east.
Long Range Ammunition
Asked how the European Union could speed up deliveries, he said that Member States should supply from their own stocks and adapt to logistical challenges.
He also added that Ukraine is particularly in need of long-range munitions “because the Russians are bombing from a long distance,” stressing that “Ukrainians should be able to reach the same range.”
In his speech before the meeting, Kuleba said that long-range artillery ammunition would be at the center of the discussion.
Earlier Saturday, Germany announced a 2.7 billion euro ($3 billion) military aid package to Ukraine, the largest since a Russian military operation, and vowed to increase support for Kiev for as long as necessary.
Millions of artillery shells and rockets
It is noteworthy that in March, EU ministers approved a plan to supply Ukraine with one million artillery shells and missiles over 12 months worth at least two billion euros ($2.20 billion).
The plan depends on the European Union supplying missiles from its stockpiles and submitting new joint requests.
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