Ukraine war: EU delivers nearly 224,000 shells to Kyiv as part of ammo plan

The European Union (EU) said on Friday (August 11) that it delivered 223,800 shells to war-torn Ukraine under the first part of a plan to provide a million artillery rounds to aid its fight against Russia. "Member states have delivered around 223,800 artillery ammunition -- long-range self-propelled, precision-guided ammunitions as well as mortar ammunitions -- and 2,300 missiles of all types," EUspokesperson Peter Stano said, the news agency AFP reported.

Earlier this year, the EU had pledged to step up supplies artillery shells to Ukraine as its military was facing a shortfall. The member states agreed on a $2.19 billion (2 billion euros) plan to raid their stockpiles and place joint orders for shells.

Under the first stage of the plant which ran between February and May, $1.09 billion (1 billion euros) was earmarked to reimburse EU members roughly half the cost of shells provided from their existing arsenals.

The total value of the ordnance provided on Friday was $1.2 billion (1.1 billion euros). The EU funds reimbursed only part of that, suggesting the measure fell short of the target.

The new ammunition sent was just a small advance on the number -- 220,000 shells -- announced by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in late May.

Meanwhile, under the second part of the plan, the EU is negotiating joint procurement contracts with European manufacturers for 155-mm howitzer shells and missiles. "(The agency) expects framework contracts with industry to be signed in the coming weeks, allowing member states to place orders from then on," the EU said.

The EU also said that in total, it has spent nearly $22 billion supplying weaponry of all kinds to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian offensive in February last year.

(With inputs from agencies)

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