EU uses Covid-style drive to ramp up munition supplies

THE European Union is to centralise defence spending in a Covid-style push to produce ammunition for Ukraine, according to a confidential document seen by The Daily Telegraph. Thierry Breton, the EU commissioner for the Internal market, said the bloc had to shift to a “wartime economy model” to prepare for a “high-intensity conflict”.

Sources said the initial version of the plan for joint procurement, which will

be discussed by EU defence ministers at a summit in Stockholm, excludes purchases of British munitions.

UK officials have previously warned that an Eu-first arms policy could threaten Nato standards if the bloc’s industries are prioritised over strategic military requirements. It is hoped the new joint procurement drive can emulate the EU’S efforts to ramp up European coronavirus vaccine production.

“I believe it is time that the European defence industry moves to a wartime economy model to cater for our defence production needs,” Mr Breton said.

Under the scheme, participating member states could be incentivised to send their remaining 155mm artillery shells to Ukraine, before mass orders are placed to replenish stockpiles.

National capitals will be able to claim up to 90 per cent of the value of shells from the European Defence Fund. “Rapid” mass orders would be placed in order to persuade European arms manufacturers to boost production capacity.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “Collective procurement efforts are vital to accelerate support for Ukraine, and the UK is driving a procurement initiative in Nato to similarly benefit our shared security.”

Ukraine is said to be firing an estimated 6,000 artillery rounds every day, according to Western intelligence figures, whereas Russia fires 20,000 a day, which is the same amount manufactured by European defence producers each month.

Local heroes A tearful man lays flowers on the coffin of one of four volunteer Ukrainian soldiers, one still a teenager, who were killed on a sabotage mission inside Russia. Hundreds of mourners, many wearing camouflage and covering their faces, packed the church in Kyiv’s Independence Square for the funeral of Yuriy Horovets, Maksym Mykhaylov, Taras Karpyuk and Bohdan Lyagov.