FT: There is not enough gunpowder in the EU for the production of ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The shortage of explosives in the EU countries may lead to a delay in the production of ammunition for Ukraine, writes the Financial Times, citing sources among European officials.

According to the interlocutors of the publication, the stocks of gunpowder, TNT and nitrocellulose in the EU are limited, so the European industry cannot quickly fulfill orders for Ukraine, regardless of the amount of funding. The newspaper notes that the conflict in Ukraine “revealed insufficient stocks of weapons in Europe and weak manufacturing capacity.” “The fundamental problem is that the European defense industry is not able to conduct large-scale military production,” one of the German officials stressed.

Jiri Gynek, president of the Czech Defense Industry Association, told the FT that it is impossible to increase the production of nitrocellulose in a short time, it will take at least three years. Czech explosives maker Explosia said it was already “at full capacity” and did not expect to ramp up production before 2026.

The CEO of the Spanish Fabrica de Municiones de Granada, Antonio Caro, in turn, said that the main problem for the company is the lack of components for ammunition. According to him, “there are not so many factories producing TNT and nitrocellulose in Europe, and they are 100% loaded,” so the company is forced to “start searching in India, Korea and other countries.” Gianclaudio Torlizzi, adviser to the Italian Ministry of Defense, also spoke about the need to find new sources of supplies.

European manufacturers and officials also note that increased demand is driving up ammunition prices. According to Karo, now one shell costs 850 euros, which is 20% more than before the start of the Russian military defense in Ukraine.