Ukraine, together with its partners, is developing the capacity to produce over a million 155 mm artillery shells per year. This was announced by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov during a video conference with his EU counterparts, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Umerov stressed that Ukraine did not manufacture ammunition of this calibre in 2022. Now, with the support of international partners, the country’s defence industry is reaching a new level of quality.
During the meeting, Umerov also called on partners to prioritise purchases from the Ukrainian defence industry, particularly in the field of UAVs.
‘Ukraine is ready for large-scale joint production and supplies, both for the needs of the front line and in the future for European armies,’ he said.
Ukraine is also open to cooperation in the production of artillery systems, air defence systems and electronic warfare systems.
The main topic during the video conference was the European Union’s new defence initiative SAFE (Security Action for Europe) with a total budget of €150 billion. The defence ministry noted that it opens up the possibility for Ukraine to fully integrate into the European defence and industrial space.