Czech-led coalition begins artillery supply to Ukraine
A howitzer with a visible 155 mm calibre shell originating from India.
The first artillery ammunition deliveries resulting from the Czech initiative have begun to arrive in Ukraine. The Czechs managed to build a coalition of countries willing to buy over one million artillery shells outside the EU. Now, the first promised deliveries of shells have reached the front.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the first batch of artillery ammunition had arrived in Ukraine some time ago. This coincides with a more significant number of photos of artillery shells from India, which may indicate one of the secret suppliers for the Czech munitions initiative.
It included building a coalition of willing countries to secure the funding necessary to procure 122mm and 155mm artillery shells outside of Europe in a very short timeframe.
One likely option, which provoked strong opposition from Greece, was Turkey along with Azerbaijan, and another could be India. Both countries aim to maintain neutrality regarding the conflict in Ukraine and have not officially supplied weapons so far. In the case of India, for example, one of its producers, Yantra India Ltd, was to receive a significant foreign contract as early as May 2024.
For example, it is worth mentioning that India currently reaps huge benefits from refining Russian crude oil but is moving away from Russians as arms suppliers in favour of its own production and purchases from Western countries. The first batch was to include 82,000 shells, and according to Defense Express, subsequent deliveries will be batches of 23,000 to 45,000 pieces per month.
Artillery shells from India in Ukraine
In the case of ammunition from India, M107 and ERFB-BT shells dominate. Both are simple unguided solutions, essentially consisting of a TNT charge placed in a cast body with a simple impact fuse screwed into the tip, causing an explosion upon contact with the ground or an obstacle.
In the first case, we are talking about the licensed production of the American M107 shell, containing 6.6kg of TNT capable of striking targets at a range of up to 30 kilometres in the case of 155mm artillery systems with a barrel length of 52 calibres, such as the PzH 2000, CAESAR or AHS Krab.
In the second case of ERFB-BT shells, the TNT charge is slightly larger, 8 to 9kg, and the range is increased to 40 kilometres under identical conditions thanks to the use of a base bleed unit. This unit is placed at the base of the shell and generates gases that reduce the base drag of the shell.
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