Czech Republic to deliver thousands of extra artillery shells to Ukraine

Initiative to boost supplies as standoff in US congress continues and arms from EU fall short

The Czech Republic says it is on the verge of delivering thousands of extra artillery shells to Ukraine, just weeks after it announced an initiative to source the much-needed supplies from outside the EU.

Its foreign minister, Jan Lipavsky, said it had so far secured 300,000 shells and that the ammunition would provide a vital few months' breathing space" on the frontline. Sources added that the first deliveries would come before June.