Germany plans to acquire 200,000 additional artillery rounds from arms manufacturer Rheinmetall to replenish the country’s stockpile amid donations to Ukraine.
The update came after Defense Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed half a billion euros ($544 million) of military aid for Kyiv during a visit to Odesa last week.
Berlin’s framework with Rheinmetall stipulates 155-millimeter shells for 880 million euros ($957 million), according to Reuters, citing a German Defense Ministry letter to parliament’s budget committee.
Additionally, the government revealed its support for a new Rheinmetall production line in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony, to sustain related production.
The German company held a ground-breaking ceremony for the plant in February.
Rheinmetall has seen an increase in market value since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Ammo Prototype, Factory in Ukraine
Rheinmetall announced in May that it would deliver artillery shell prototypes with a range of 62 miles (100 kilometers) to Ukraine later this year.
The unnamed round has a longer range compared to other munitions the company has delivered to the country, including the Vulcan long-range shell, which can neutralize targets at 43.5 miles (70 kilometers).
Three months earlier, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperge and Ukrainian Industry Minister Alexander Kamyshin greenlighted the establishment of an artillery ammunition factory in Ukraine.
Rheinmetall will work with a local Ukrainian firm once the center is operational. Details on the partner’s name, corresponding location, and start date of production were not disclosed for security reasons.