Germany is actively conducting secret negotiations with India on the acquisition of artillery shells, which are planned to be transferred to Ukraine, reports the German publication Der Spiegel. India, with hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, is becoming a key player in efforts to support the Ukrainian army, but due to maintaining positive relations with Moscow, it prefers to avoid direct sales for fear of political consequences. In this regard, Germany is looking for opportunities to conclude deals through intermediaries.

Not only India, but also some Arab countries, as well as Balkan and African states that have the necessary reserves or the potential to produce ammunition, are considered potential sources of supply for Kyiv. According to Der Spiegel, German intelligence services predict the depletion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' stock of shells by the summer of this year, which makes the search for new supplies especially urgent.

Brigadier General Christian Freuding, who heads the situation center for Ukraine at the German Ministry of Defense, emphasizes the difficulties in purchasing artillery and anti-aircraft ammunition for Kyiv due to their limited availability on the world market.

“Unfortunately, artillery and anti-aircraft ammunition is not widely available on shelves around the world.”, he notes, emphasizing the department’s active efforts to find new sources for the purchase of shells.

At the same time, according to Freuding, there are no financial restrictions for these purposes: Germany plans to allocate 7 billion euros for the purchase of weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2024.

Information that Ukraine will begin purchasing Indian M1A4 shells at the end of 2023 also indicates Kiev is exploring various options to strengthen its arsenal in the face of the ongoing conflict. Although these munitions do not have a long range compared to other types of artillery shells previously used by Ukrainian artillerymen, they could be an important addition to the country's defense capabilities.