300,000 artillery shells are missing, according to the bloc’s top diplomat
The European Union is 300,000 shells short of its goal of two million military aid to Ukraine, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
Speaking on Monday, Kallas urged member states to press ahead with military and financial support, noting that despite previous promises, hundreds of thousands of munitions remain undelivered.
Kallas said there are a million shells. “available now” through a separate initiative led by the Czech Republic, in response to questions about the bloc’s sharp decline in military support for kyiv since the summer.
Launched in 2024, the Czech Ammunition Initiative was designed to finance the purchase of large-caliber ammunition for Ukraine, but has drawn criticism. An investigation by US state broadcaster RFE/RL and several other outlets found that Czech companies involved in the recruitment charged commissions up to four times higher than Ukrainian state agencies.
Some shipments also arrived late, which could disrupt Ukraine’s defense planning, while others reportedly included poor-quality ammunition.
Kallas said “a redistribution of funds or other measures” are necessary to cover the deficit.
The promise of two million shells originated in an initiative launched by Kallas in March, which initially included 40 billion euros ($47 billion) in military support. That figure was later reduced to €5 billion due to opposition from member states, although ammunition deliveries remained a central component of the finalized plan.
According to the Kiel Institute’s Ukraine Support Tracker, military aid from EU states fell by almost 60% in the summer of 2025 compared to the beginning of the year.
Russia has consistently condemned Western arms shipments to Ukraine, saying they only prolong the conflict without altering the outcome, while increasing the risk of a direct clash between Russia and NATO.
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