Kyiv and Prague have reached an agreement to jointly produce rifles and ammunition within Ukraine, the prime ministers of the two countries announced on Tuesday after discussions in the Czech Republic.
Ukraine has been working to establish a new arms industry to reduce its dependency on Western military aid since the Russian invasion of its territory in 2022.
“Today, we have reached important agreements, including in the defense industry. A new ammunition factory will be built in Ukraine,” said Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at a press conference.
“The second agreement is that the Czech company Colt CZ Group will produce rifles in Ukraine,” he said in a joint conference with his Czech counterpart, Petr Fiala.
“Ukraine aims and has the potential to become an arms arsenal for the free world, and we are grateful to the Czech Republic for its support in this direction,” Shmyhal added.
The Czech company Colt CZ Group said in a statement that its unit, Sellier & Bellot, will collaborate with the Ukrainian company Ukroboronprom to produce several “types of small-caliber ammunition in Ukraine.”
Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová said that part of the production will be carried out in the Czech Republic while Ukraine will be responsible for development.
She also mentioned that Tuesday’s discussions included the training of Ukrainian soldiers on Czech soil.
Černochová previously stated that her country plans to train about 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers this year.
The Czech Republic has provided substantial humanitarian and military support to Ukraine since the start of the war.
The war in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022.
Russian President Vladimir Putin calls the war a “special military operation” to demilitarize Ukraine.
The West has responded to Russia by hitting its economy with harsh sanctions.
As a result of the war, thousands of people have died, and millions have been displaced from their homes.
