Slovakia to Increase Million-Scale Artillery Shell Supplies to Ukraine

Slovakia will expand ammunition supplies to Ukraine as its defense industry ramps up shell production, President Peter Pellegrini said, RBC-Ukraine reported on May 14.

Pellegrini stated that the deliveries fall under commercial weapons production and exports handled by domestic defense enterprises. He added that Bratislava intends to keep expanding shipments.

The president noted that Slovakia is investing heavily in its military-industrial complex, which now accounts for nearly 3% of national GDP. Production includes interceptor drones developed jointly with local defense firms and aircraft repair plants.

Bratislava already supplies Ukraine with ammunition in "million-scale volumes," Pellegrini confirmed, with output set to grow further.

He also acknowledged that NATO faces a structural shortage of defense manufacturing capacity. Even with significant financing, scaling up weapons production remains difficult due to limited factories and production lines, he added.

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Pellegrini's remarks contrast with Prime Minister Robert Fico's position, who, after taking office in 2023, declared that his government would not transfer weapons to Ukraine from state stockpiles.

Fico has also opposed new military aid packages and criticized European Union sanctions against Russia. Those restrictions never extended to Slovakia's private defense sector, which has continued to manufacture artillery shells, howitzers, and other systems for Kyiv.

Slovak weapons exports nearly doubled in 2024 from the prior year and rose roughly tenfold from pre-war levels. In October 2025, Bratislava announced a fresh aid package covering engineering and demining support, alongside expanded cooperation with Ukrainian defense companies.

Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák has reported a fifteenfold increase in Slovak artillery ammunition output since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

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