The European Union will be able to produce around 1.3 to 1.4 million shells by the end of 2024, and will continue to increase production “significantly” next year, said EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton.
“We need to make sure that most of this is coming to Ukraine, in priority, because this is where there is an urgent need,” Breton said, speaking on Jan. 19 at a press conference during a visit to Estonia.
An estimated 40% of production is currently sent outside of Europe, he added.
Breton said current production figures are confidential, but that the EU will be able to produce one million shells by March or April of this year, meeting a commitment set last year.
In November, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reported that the EU had fallen behind schedule to meet that commitment, but that work to address issues was underway.
“Europe must and will continue to support Ukraine with all its means, and especially on the military front,” Breton said.
“Our security cannot depend on the election results outside of Europe, and for this, we need to adapt our defense industry to the new security paradigm we are coping with.”
Improving production is important not only for handling Europe’s security, but also for Europe’s competitiveness, Breton added.
Oleksiy Sorokin
