Shortage of explosives: media reported why Ukraine cannot increase ammunition production

Ukraine's Minister for Strategic Industries German Smetanin said that Ukraine is facing an inability to significantly increase the production of artillery and mortar shells due to a global shortage of explosives, Reuters reported on Friday, 1 November.

Although the country has managed to establish the production of mines from zero to millions per year, as well as increase the production of artillery shells, the production limitation remains.

The main problem we have now is gunpowder and explosives. How much explosives will come to Ukraine, that's how many shells we will have," Smetanin emphasised.

In addition, Ukraine has started production of 155-mm shells, but specific volumes have not been disclosed yet. One of the minister's key tasks is to "establish serial production of Ukrainian missiles", which is also due to limited resources.

At the same time, defence companies in Europe are facing funding problems despite high demand. Record global defence spending, reaching $2.44 trillion in 2023, has not provided sustainable support for small and medium-sized defence companies. Bureaucracy, lack of government funding and banks' reluctance to lend to the defence sector due to environmental and social risks limit their opportunities.

These difficulties, according to Jiří Hynek, executive director of the Czech Defence Industry Association, exacerbate the defence industry's problems and create obstacles to modernisation and capacity growth.