Černochová: First artillery for Ukraine under Czech plan to arrive by end of June

The first delivery of munitions to Ukraine sourced under a Czech artillery initiative will reach the country by the end of June, as promised, the Czech minister of defence, Jana Černochová, said on Sunday. Ms. Černochová told CNN Prima News that 18 countries had signed memoranda of understanding with Czechia on funding the artillery drive, with Iceland the most recent.

Ms. Černochová would not reveal if some of the artillery had already been delivered.

At the end of May, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that 15 countries had signed up to the initiative, under which shells are being purchased for Ukraine from states outside NATO and the EU, pledging to contribute EUR 1.6 billion.