Fiala: enough money raised for 300,000 shells for Ukraine

Enough money has been raised so far to purchase the first shipment of 300,000 artillery shells for Ukraine, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Friday on social media site X. However, the goal is to send far more and the search for partners continues, he added. This will be the first delivery as part of the Czech initiative to source ammunition for Ukraine from outside the EU, with 18 countries pledging to provide financial support.

The prime minister's words contradict President Petr Pavel's statement, who had said on Thursday that enough had been raised for 800,000 shells. The government’s national security advisor, Tomáš Pojar, who is coordinating the initiative, said later on Thursday that it seemed the president had meant the purchase of the first shipment.