Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 11, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 11, 2026
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The Czech initiative for Ukrainian ammunition faces funding issues, aiming for 5 billion euros but raising only 1.4 billion so far, impacting Kyiv's defense against Russia.
BRUSSELS, Feb 11 (Reuters) - A Czech initiative sourcing ammunition for Ukraine aims to secure shells worth five billion euros ($5.95 billion) globally but has only managed to raise 1.4 billion euros so far, a senior NATO military official said on Wednesday.
The programme, involving foreign donors including Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands alongside Czech defence officials and arms companies, seeks to acquire large-calibre ammunition for Ukraine to reduce its disadvantage on the battlefield against Russia.
In December, NATO's Ukraine mission, NSATU, projected the initiative would deliver 1.8 million artillery rounds in 2025, constituting 43% of all ammunition supplied to Kyiv, and roughly 70% of the legacy Soviet calibre ammunition.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted 16 billion euros worth of ammunition were available on the global market currently.
NATO is targeting a five-billion-euro expenditure focused predominantly on acquiring hundreds of thousands of artillery shells under the Czech scheme, the official said, adding that 1.4 billion euros had been committed by donors so far.
Last year, donors gave around $4.8 billion to pay for ammunition supplies under the programme, former Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said in December. The Czech contribution has been up to 3 billion crowns ($145.15 million).
($1 = 0.8398 euros)
($1 = 20.6680 Czech crowns)
(Reporting by Sabine Siebold in Brussels and Jan Lopatka in Prague; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)
The Czech Ammunition Initiative is a program aimed at sourcing ammunition for Ukraine, with a goal to raise five billion euros to support its military efforts.
NATO supports the Czech Ammunition Initiative by coordinating efforts and projecting ammunition supply timelines to aid Ukraine in its defense.
Large-calibre ammunition refers to artillery shells that are typically larger than 20mm in diameter, used in military applications for significant impact.
Foreign donors are entities or countries that provide financial support or resources to initiatives outside their own borders, often for humanitarian or military purposes.
The projected ammunition supply indicates the expected quantity and type of ammunition to be delivered, which is crucial for military readiness and operational effectiveness.
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