Europe rallies to replenish ammunition stockpiles as Ukraine war nears anniversary
155mm artillery shells are in high demand across Europe. (Photo: UK MoD/ Crown Copyright)
Over the past few weeks, several European countries announced their plans to increase the number of artillery rounds sent to Ukraine, ranging from reactivating production of NATO and Soviet-standard shells to investing in expanding or building ammunition factories.
While these projects are good news for Ukrainian troops and represent necessary steps to help them sustain war efforts, they are not necessarily a solution to the critical issue faced by most European nations needing to restock national reserves in the face of growing shortages.
Four trends have emerged: hiring more staff to increase production levels of national factories and overall workforces;
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