The Düsseldorf-based technical company Rheinmetall has been ordered to supply Kyiv with artillery shells worth around 142 million euros.
The customer is the NATO military bloc, which has declared its intention to support Ukraine in its defence struggle with effective long-term military assistance. The order includes tens of thousands of 155 mm artillery shells, including the shell, the fuse (for the explosive charge), the propellant and the primer (for igniting the propellant).
Rheinmetall Expal Munitions will produce the shells, the group’s recently acquired Spanish subsidiary. This contract emphasises Rheinmetall’s role as the world’s largest producer of large calibre ammunition. Ukraine will receive the ammunition in 2025. The production and delivery of around 40,000 shells for Ukraine under an earlier order is already due to take place in 2024.
In mid-October 2023, the German government placed an order with Rheinmetall for more than 100,000 155 mm calibre ammunition for Ukraine – again with Rheinmetall Expal Munitions – as well as additional DM 121 high-explosive shells. The order amounts to around three million euros.
The demand for artillery ammunition is currently very high. This is due not only to Ukraine’s needs, but also to the need to replenish emptied ammunition depots in Germany and other NATO and EU countries. In 2024, Rheinmetall is planning a major expansion of ammunition production capacity at its plants in Germany, Spain, South Africa and Australia, which will result in an annual production volume of around 700,000 artillery shells.
Rheinmetall currently has multi-year framework contracts worth more than €1 billion to supply the German Bundeswehr with several hundred artillery shells.
