In a new initiative to strengthen the Ukrainian defense industry, the Czechoslovak Group (CSG) recently announced that it will cooperate with Ukrainska Bronetechnika to produce 155mm artillery shells in Ukraine starting in 2025. This agreement is part of a group of contracts signed by the two companies on October 2, 2024, during the International Defense Industries Forum (DFNC2) held in Kyiv.
According to Czechoslovak Group (CSG), the company will provide Ukrainska Bronetechnika with the necessary knowledge and assistance to initiate the production of 155mm artillery shells, an initiative that will be implemented directly in Ukraine.
“With this step, CSG confirmed its intention to establish cooperation with Ukrainian companies in the field of artillery ammunition and to assist the invaded country in producing this type of ammunition on its territory. According to plans, under the cooperation between CSG and Ukrainska Bronetechnika, 100,000 pieces of ammunition will be produced in 2025, and annual production will exceed 300,000 pieces in 2026,” CSG detailed in its press release.
It was also highlighted that, thanks to this agreement, “…the production of ammunition will take place in the Czech Republic and Ukraine with the aim of increasing and accelerating production for the Ukrainian army and reducing the price of artillery shells. The production will cover various types of large-caliber ammunition…”
CSG also emphasized that the collaboration and assistance with Ukraine have been ongoing for several years. As early as 2018, some of the companies within CSG delivered dozens of self-propelled howitzers and infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. However, cooperation with Kyiv accelerated following the Russian invasion that began on February 24, 2022.
Since then, the companies that are part of CSG have delivered various military equipment to Ukraine, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled howitzers, and air defense systems. “…CSG is also intensively cooperating in supplying large-caliber ammunition to Ukraine as part of the Czech Ammunition Initiative. The new package of cooperation agreements with Ukrainska Bronetechnika and the successful delivery of military material to Ukraine demonstrate CSG’s clear support for Ukraine and its defenders…”
One of the critical points since the escalation of hostilities in 2022 has been the requirement for hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, a demand that alerted the Western defense industry as it caused severe bottlenecks due to certain shortcomings in production chains, which had ceased to be prepared for large volumes. This situation has been slowly addressed with the aim of assisting Ukraine.
CSG spokesperson Andrej Čírtek referred to the agreement, stating that “For Ukraine’s defense capability, it is essential not only to supply military material or ammunition but, above all, to strengthen the capacity of its defense industry. Every country, even if it is not in such a difficult security situation as Ukraine, needs supply guarantees, and this can only be ensured by the industry in its own territory. That’s why we have agreed with our Ukrainian partners to transfer knowledge and assist in the initiation of production of various types of large-caliber ammunition, which will start as early as 2025. Of course, we will not disclose details such as the production location for security reasons.”
The Czech Ministry of Defense and the Intergovernmental Defense Cooperation Agency AMOS played an important role in securing the agreement between CSG and Ukrainska Bronetechnika. Both entities have been helping implement assistance from private companies to the invaded country since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and also play a key role in the current Czech Ammunition Initiative.
Illustrative cover image. Photo: Ukrainian Army
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