Bundestag approves purchase of additional 155-mm shells, in particular for Ukraine

The Budget Committee of the Lower House of the German parliament, the Bundestag, has approved the purchase of additional 155-mm artillery shells.

This decision should allow Germany to continue providing Ukraine with the necessary ammunition and replenish German reserves, the report says.

"Now a German defence company has agreed on the production and supply of thousands of shells to provide further support to Ukraine and replenish the country’s own ammunition reserves," the German Defence Ministry reports.

These shells are primarily intended for Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzers, 22 units of which Germany has provided to Ukraine.

The Defence Ministry indicates that €880 million will be allocated for these needs from the Bundeswehr's special fund and the defence budget.

The Budget Committee also approved amendments to the framework agreement with the defence contractor, which allows other countries to join it.

Reuters reported that the German army intends to order 200,000 more artillery shells from the arms manufacturer Rheinmetall than it had planned, which will cost the government €880 million.

Rheinmetall already has a deal worth €1.2 billion for several hundred thousand shells, fuses and warheads. A letter from the German Defence Ministry to the parliament’s budget committee says that by placing the order, the German Defence Ministry also wants Rheinmetall to be able to install a new production line in the town of Unterlüss in the country's centre.

Rheinmetall is investing more than €180 million in the construction of an ammunition production plant in Lithuania.

Prior to that, the company received a large order for artillery ammunition from a NATO member country, worth almost €300 million.

Meanwhile, Rheinmetall will receive more than €130 million from the European Union to increase ammunition production.