Else Beekman
The Spanish government is preparing for a new arms supply to Ukraine. This new package includes large-calibre artillery ammunition, armoured vehicles, anti-tank weapons, and Leopard 2A4 tanks.
Spain remains strongly committed to supporting Ukraine. A meeting between Ukrainian President Volodímir Zelensky and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was previously cancelled due to military developments in the Járkov region. The Spanish Ministry of Defense has confirmed that this delivery is expected to take place at the end of June. This is not affected by the recent geopolitical tensions.
Increased demand for ammunition
One of the most important parts of the new arms supply is the 155mm artillery ammunition, which is high on Kyiv’s priority list. Ukraine consumed approximately 90,000 of these shells per month during the 2023 counterattack, while European production capacity is only 25,000 shells per month. This ammunition shortage has contributed to the recent Russian advance, according to Ukrainian authorities.
European initiative for ammunition production
The European Commission has drawn up a three-phase plan to tackle the ammunition shortage. In the first phase, the EU countries must jointly supply €1 billion in ammunition from their arsenals. In the second phase, the EU will spend a further €1 billion on joint ammunition purchases for Ukraine. Finally, there is an ambitious plan to produce 1 million artillery shells within a year. This represents a significant increase compared to the current production of 300,000 grenades per year in Europe.
Spain’s military and humanitarian support
Spain has been one of the fastest-reacting countries following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In addition to supplying heavy weapons such as the Leopard 2A4 tanks, Spain has also supplied approximately 60 M113 armored vehicles, which are essential for the transportation and protection of troops. In addition, Spain has provided several anti-aircraft systems and trained more than 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers in various military disciplines at various locations in Spain.