Czechs source 800,000 artillery shells and go for more reviving Cold War ties — The Wall Street Journal

Prague, Czech Republic (Svidomi) — The Czech Republic has stepped up its Cold War ties and managed to find around 800,000 artillery shells from a diverse coalition of suppliers spanning the globe. It will be able to buy another 700,000 that could be secured with extra funds, The Wall Street Journal reports. 

Reportedly, Czech officials said their effort started shortly before Russia’s full-scale invasion two years ago.

Unlike the U.S., France or Germany, which mainly focused on ramping up domestic production to supply Ukraine, the Czechs are focused on sourcing existing materiel. 

"Czech government officials have begun to travel the world quietly, signing sales agreements and negotiating export licences with dozens of producing countries. The country's past as a Soviet satellite has become an unexpected boon," the journalists say.

According to WSJ's sources, there are even Russian allies of the among the suppliers.

Tomáš Kopečný, the Czech special Envoy to Ukraine who helped negotiate the deal, said that the Czech approach was to act as an intermediary for supplies to Ukraine.

The Czech Republic organised the logistics, and the deliveries went either through its own borders or through third countries to avoid revealing a direct link between the country of origin and Ukraine.

"Confidentiality is key here: We talk and will talk to anyone, no matter what their allegiance or political stance is—with a very few exceptions, such as North Korea," said Tomáš Pojar, the Czech government’s national security adviser.

So far, the Czech Republic has secured funding for the first tranche of around 300,000 shells. Deliveries of the ammunition promised by the Czech Republic will begin in June. 

It will be recalled that, according to the Estonian Ministry of Defence, Russia produces almost three times as much artillery ammunition as the United States and Europe for Ukraine.