Bulgaria to expand artillery shell production
Rumen Radev (Photo:Screenshot of the video bTv)
While Bulgaria is not directly sending artillery shells to Ukraine, it’s working on spooling up production of ammunition to replenish stocks of other countries, President Rumen Radev told Bulgarian broadcaster bTV Novinite on March 23.
“Bulgaria is working with the European Commission to ensure serious investments are made in our defense industry, so that our capabilities to produce various weapons, expanded.” Said Radev.
According to him, Bulgaria intends to implement NATO standards for production of 155mm artillery shells.
“Only 17 countries, plus Norway, have signed an agreement on the joint supply of ammunition to Ukraine, except for Bulgaria,” Radev noted.
“We are ready to supply shells to those countries that wish to replenish their stocks.”
On March 20, EU countries agreed to send 1 million artillery rounds to Ukraine.
Ukraine has appealed to the EU to send Kyiv 250,000 artillery shells a month to ease critical shortages on the battlefield, according to the Financial Times.
On March 7-8, during an informal meeting in Stockholm, EU defense ministers supported the proposal of the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, to use EUR 1 billion from the European Peace Fund for immediate supply of ammunition to Ukraine from existing stocks.
Borrell said that another EUR 1 billion could be used for joint procurement of shells for Kyiv.
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