Poland will boost its ammunition production to make up for the shortage created by donations to Ukraine amid its fight against Russian invasion, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Monday.
Additionally, Poland will receive the most European Union funding to compensate for other countries that have supplied military equipment to Ukraine, he said.
On Monday, Morawiecki, along with Mariusz Blaszczak, the deputy prime minister and defense minister along with EU's Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, paid a visit to an ammunition manufacturer maker Dezamet – a unit of state arms producer Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), in the town of Nowa Deba, located in the southeast of Poland.
During a press conference, Morawiecki stated that there is a shortage of ammunition in Europe, and possibly even in NATO. He emphasized that Poland's primary objective is to replenish its stockpiles and increase its ammunition inventory. Additionally, Morawiecki mentioned that Poland plans to establish new plants or expand the capacity of existing ones, such as Dezamet, to enable them to produce ammunition at the level required by Poland.
The prime minister noted that Russia fires between 20,000 and 50,000 shells every day, while Ukraine responds with some 2,000 to 6,000 shells, but they are “fired with better precision.”
“So (the goal is) to replenish stocks and build such capacity for Poland to be extra safe, but at the same time so that we can be an ammunition supplier for others,” Morawiecki emphasized.
“We have excellent competence in producing weapons and ammunition and I’m pleased that, in agreement with Commissioner Thierry Breton, we'll be able to multiply production using European money,” he said.
Poland is also expected to receive 300 million euros from the European Peace Fund, making it the largest beneficiary of the EU's arms fund, as per the prime minister.
The fund was created by the EU to finance military acquisitions to assist Ukraine in defending itself against the Russian invasion, as well as to compensate EU countries that have contributed to Ukraine by providing some of their weapons.
Morawiecki noted Monday on Facebook that Poland would be able to purchase advanced weapons and ammunition, establish new manufacturing lines, and invest in the Polish arms industry, thanks to the compensation it receives.
“To replace the weapons handed to Ukraine, we’ll be able to purchase state-of-the-art weaponry, ammunition and create new manufacturing lines, and invest in the Polish arms industry!” Morawiecki said.
Poland has given Ukraine a significant number of its Soviet-era T-72 tanks as well as Krab self-propelled howitzers, Grot assault rifles, and ammunition.
Recently, Warsaw announced a decision to hand four of its Soviet-era MiG-29 fighters to Kyiv, and in doing so became the first country to offer military jets to Ukraine.
