Ukraine, with partners' support, increases ratio with Russia in ammunition from 1:10 to 1:2 in two years – Czech President
Czech President Petr Pavel notes a significant improvement in the situation with the supply of artillery ammunition to Ukraine in the last two years thanks to the so-called "Czech initiative."
In an interview with the BBC published on Monday, Pavel said the initiative was motivated from the very beginning to ensure a sufficient flow of ammunition, which the Ukrainian defenders so badly needed. Two years ago, they were at such a disadvantage that the ratio of their shelling was one to ten compared to the Russians. Now it is about one to two. This means that with a stable flow of ammunition, Ukrainian planners can now afford the luxury of planning, because they know what they will receive in the coming months, he added.
According to him, last year, Ukraine managed to deliver about 1.5 million large-caliber ammunition, and this year, 2025, 1.8 million will be delivered, of which about 800,000 are 155 mm caliber.
The Czech president stated this provides Ukraine with the certainty of receiving an average of 80,000 rounds of ammunition every month, which is a significant amount for a successful defense.
Regarding the transparency of supplies, Pavel noted cooperation with a number of NATO allies and third countries, which are allowed to be part of the process and send their auditors to the Czech Ministry of Defense. He said in such a complex process there will always be certain problems with supplies, timing, cost, but he would strongly reject any lack of transparency or even abuse, since there is enough oversight to have full control.
Asked whether he could guarantee that the Czech Republic's military support for Ukraine would remain unchanged regardless of the results of the planned elections, the president replied that he cannot do this because, obviously, he does not know the results of the elections.
Pavel said they will have parliamentary elections, which will probably lead to a change of government. He added he does not know what the priorities of the new government will be, but all his efforts are now focused on supporting a common approach to security and defense, including their approach to Ukraine, because he believes that their support for Ukraine is a vital component of their own security.
As reported, the Czech Republic has taken the initiative to purchase large volumes of ammunition for Ukraine with short delivery times on the world market. The Czech initiative to purchase ammunition from third countries was joined by, in particular, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Latvia, Lithuania, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, and Poland.
In May 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine expects to receive 3 million artillery shells in 2025, of which 1.8 million are within the framework of the implementation of the Czech initiative.