Today at 16:06
Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová stated that some of the ammunition provided to Ukraine as part of the Czech “Ammunition Initiative” may be of poor quality, but such cases are rare.
She made this statement to journalists in ČTK.
The day before, the German publication Handelsblatt published an article claiming, based on Ukrainian military sources, that some of the shells supplied by the Czech Republic contained faulty detonators.
It was alleged that Ukraine had supposedly sent a letter to the Czech Republic indicating that some of the artillery shells delivered under the Czech initiative were detonating prematurely, posing a danger to Ukrainian soldiers and equipment.
Commenting on this publication, Černochová said that neither the new Ukrainian ambassador to the Czech Republic, Vasyl Zvarych, whom she met last week, nor the donors who finance the purchases had complained about the ammunition delivered.
“We know that we are purchasing not only new ammunition but also old stocks, which may have potential issues,” the head of the Czech Ministry of Defense said, adding that these were “isolated cases.”
In Černochová’s opinion, the Handelsblatt article may be aimed at creating the impression among the public that there are issues with the ammunition initiative.
“None of the donors have any doubts,” the minister assured.
As a reminder, under the initiative first announced at the beginning of the year by President Petr Pavel, the Czech Republic is seeking artillery ammunition for Ukraine both within and outside the European Union.
It was previously reported that the Czech initiative could provide the Armed Forces of Ukraine with 50,000 to 100,000 large-caliber shells per month. By the end of the year, the total supply is expected to reach half a million.
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