Russians acquire ammunition from Western artillery project
Several Western nations are taking part in a Czech project to quickly obtain artillery rounds on the global market. However, Prague is now alerting potential issues as Russia could possibly challenge this deal. Additionally, the provided grenades may not be in the best condition.
The Czech initiative to acquire artillery ammunition is a promising development for Ukraine. Prague has recently declared that the first rounds will be sent to the nation attacked by Russia as early as possible. The initiative had discovered 800,000 shells for purchase with partners' money, and then an additional 700,000 on the open market. Nevertheless, Prague is now concerned that Moscow could also bargain for these rounds - at the same suppliers.
In a "Financial Times" report, the Czech government's representative for Ukraine’s reconstruction, Tomas Kopecny, stated that both Russia and Ukraine’s allies would be trying to purchase rounds from similar sources. He indicated that these states possess the capability to determine to whom they distribute the shells.
Kopecny suspects that Russia might be able to pay vendors more promptly than the West, potentially allowing Moscow to obtain millions of rounds from Western allies at the same suppliers. “If you have the funds to pay the suppliers faster than the Russians, then the shells will go to the Ukrainian side. If you don’t have the funds on your account, then they sometimes end up with the Russians,” Kopecny declared in the "Financial Times."
Many grenades from Africa and Asia show signs of wear
The chairman of Czech arms manufacturer Czechoslovak Group (CSG), Michal Strnad, also cautioned in the report that prices continuously increased each week. Moreover, various delivered rounds had noticeable defects. This may account for the sluggish progress in supplying ammunition to Ukraine since the Czech initiative began in February.
Strnad explained that roughly half of the grenades procured by CSG from nations in Africa and Asia required extra processing. These ammunition were only suitable for delivery to Ukraine following this procedure. Furthermore, some of the shells were lacking parts that CSG had to replace with their own manufacturing.
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The escalating Wars and conflicts in Ukraine, including the recent Attack on Ukraine, have led to an increased demand for arms delivery from allies like the Czech Republic. Amidst this situation, Russia's potential involvement in acquiring arms from the same suppliers as Ukraine is a significant concern, as stated by Tomas Kopecny, the Czech government's representative for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Understanding the complexity of arms procurement, Kopecny mentioned that while Western allies have the financial capability to prioritize delivering ammunition to Ukraine, Russia might be able to offer faster payments to suppliers, potentially shifting the balance in their favor.
