PRAGUE: Foreign donors have provided 93.3 billion crowns ($4.5 billion) to a Czech-led initiative to find and deliver large-calibre ammunition to Ukraine, and the Czech Republic has contributed 1.7 billion crowns, Defense Minister Jana Cernochova said on Wednesday.
Increased ammunition supplies in 2024 and 2025 have helped reduce Ukraine’s disadvantage compared with Russia on the frontline, although it is unclear whether the Czech action will continue under the next government.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala said at a news conference with Cernochova that the Czech Republic has arranged supplies of 3.7 million artillery rounds to Ukraine, including 1.3 million so far this year.
Funding for the supplies has come from the initiative, as well as the yield on frozen Russian assets, bilateral cooperation and direct Ukrainian purchases, he said.
Fiala said this year’s supplies should reach 1.8 million shells.
The program matches Czech arms producers and traders with potential sellers who often prefer to remain unnamed, and foreign donors.
Andrej Babis, whose ANO party won a parliamentary election on October 3-4 and is in talks to form a cabinet with two fringe parties, has criticized the initiative.
Before the election, Babis said he would bring it to an end, but he has been less clear since his victory and after President Petr Pavel called on parties to keep the program running.
Babis has, without giving any details, called the initiative non-transparent and overpriced, and said arms traders have made too much profit on it, while the outgoing government has said it is transparent to the donors providing the funding.
Babis said after the election that he would also stop any Czech budget-paid military aid to Ukraine.
The government said on Wednesday that total Czech military aid to Ukraine has reached 17.4 billion crowns, combining donations of 390 pieces of old equipment including tanks or helicopters, contributions to international funding schemes, the ammunition initiative and purchases of new equipment.
In return, the Czechs have received funds and equipment worth 25 billion crowns in back-fill schemes which included US helicopters and Leopard 2A4 tanks from Germany.
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Donors have given $4.5 billion to Czech ammunition scheme for Ukraine, minister says
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Donors have given $4.5 billion to Czech ammunition scheme for Ukraine, minister says
- Increased ammunition supplies in 2024 and 2025 have helped reduce Ukraine’s disadvantage compared with Russia on the frontline
- Fiala said this year’s supplies should reach 1.8 million shells
First charter jet brings French nationals home from Middle East
- A first charter flight carrying French nationals stranded in the Middle East since the start of the war with Iran landed at Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris early Wednesday
PARIS: A first charter flight carrying French nationals stranded in the Middle East since the start of the war with Iran landed at Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris early Wednesday.
Governments and airlines have been scrambling to repatriate tens of thousands of travelers stranded after the eruption of a regional conflict sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
France is among the most affected Western nations, with an estimated 400,000 nationals present in around 15 countries touched by the conflict.
The aircraft chartered by Air France left Muscat, the capital of Oman, Tuesday evening and landed in France shortly before 3:00 am Wednesday.
“We never thought this would happen,” said passenger Emmy Coutelier, 18.
When the first strikes hit Dubai, she was in the hotel swimming pool with her boyfriend.
After hugging her sister, who had come to meet her at the airport, a still-shaken Coutelier recounted her experience. “An alarm sounded in the middle of the night telling us not to stay near the windows,” she said.
“We went down to the basement,” she added. When Coutelier boarded the repatriation flight, she said she felt as if she were “fleeing danger, even though it’s a relatively safe country.”
The plane carried staff of the airline as well as many families, young children, and pregnant women, government minister Eleonore Caroit told reporters at the airport.
“It was a complex process, with constant uncertainty because we are in a very fluid situation, with airspace opening and closing and the situation changing from hour to hour,” Caroit added.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told broadcaster France 2 there would be several flights on Wednesday, including one to repatriate French nationals from the United Arab Emirates.
Another flight, out of Egypt, will bring back “some of our most vulnerable compatriots” from Israel, he said.
More French nationals are getting in contact with consular authorities, “but not all of them want to return to France,” said Caroit.
Governments and airlines have been scrambling to repatriate tens of thousands of travelers stranded after the eruption of a regional conflict sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
France is among the most affected Western nations, with an estimated 400,000 nationals present in around 15 countries touched by the conflict.
The aircraft chartered by Air France left Muscat, the capital of Oman, Tuesday evening and landed in France shortly before 3:00 am Wednesday.
“We never thought this would happen,” said passenger Emmy Coutelier, 18.
When the first strikes hit Dubai, she was in the hotel swimming pool with her boyfriend.
After hugging her sister, who had come to meet her at the airport, a still-shaken Coutelier recounted her experience. “An alarm sounded in the middle of the night telling us not to stay near the windows,” she said.
“We went down to the basement,” she added. When Coutelier boarded the repatriation flight, she said she felt as if she were “fleeing danger, even though it’s a relatively safe country.”
The plane carried staff of the airline as well as many families, young children, and pregnant women, government minister Eleonore Caroit told reporters at the airport.
“It was a complex process, with constant uncertainty because we are in a very fluid situation, with airspace opening and closing and the situation changing from hour to hour,” Caroit added.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told broadcaster France 2 there would be several flights on Wednesday, including one to repatriate French nationals from the United Arab Emirates.
Another flight, out of Egypt, will bring back “some of our most vulnerable compatriots” from Israel, he said.
More French nationals are getting in contact with consular authorities, “but not all of them want to return to France,” said Caroit.
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