"Ammunition shortage is gradually disappearing," Defense Express expert Ryabykh

He shared the information on Espreso TV.

"Europe's failure to meet its obligation of supplying one million rounds of ammunition by March has contributed to the ammunition shortage experienced on the front lines. Indirect evidence suggests that this deficit is gradually diminishing, potentially linked to ongoing ammunition supplies.

The Czech initiative plays a crucial role in this context, involving the purchase of ammunition from third countries. Previously, this wasn't feasible using the Peace Facility, established in Europe specifically for ammunition procurement. Lengthy discussions ensued within the Peace Facility regarding the allocation of funds for purchases since some countries couldn't supply ammunition themselves. Thanks to the Czech Republic's proposal, a compromise was reached, leading to the formation of an ammunition coalition comprising countries willing to allocate funds for these acquisitions," the expert explained.

According to the information provided, the focus is on 155 mm caliber ammunition in particular. A crucial condition for this initiative is that third countries must agree to transfer the ammunition to Ukraine.

"It is very positive that this process has been moved forward. It is going on in parallel and it can go on, for example, without waiting for all the money to be raised. I understand that this ammunition can be from different suppliers and manufacturers, it also involves logistics and solving various issues, such as documentation, which can take several weeks, so in reality, we can start receiving this ammunition within a month, if there are no other complications," said Ryabykh.

Regarding the quantity of ammunition, the Development Director at Defense Express mentioned a figure of approximately 150,000. This supply could potentially last between a quarter to six months, contingent upon the evolving situation at the front lines.

Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine: what is known

On February 17, it was reported that the Czech Republic had found sources abroad for hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds that it could deliver to Ukraine within weeks.

The Netherlands publicly announced its participation by donating €100 million for the purchase of ammunition. France will also join the initiative to purchase shells for Ukraine outside the EU.

On February 22, it was announced that Canada was ready to allocate up to $22 million for shells for Ukraine. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo also announced that the country would finance the Czech initiative with €200 million.

On March 2, the Czech Republic announced that it would be able to make the first deliveries of ammunition to Kyiv in a few weeks.

Subsequently, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonite said that her country would facilitate the Czech Republic's multilateral initiative to purchase and transfer artillery ammunition to Ukraine.

On March 7, Norway announced the allocation of over $150 million to purchase 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine.