'Not much left' in Italy’s military stockpiles over Ukraine armament
A source in the Italian Defense Ministry says the Italian army is right now in "serious difficulty" due to a shortage of heavy and light artillery ammunition.
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An Italian flag flying at half-mast on the Altare della Patri-Vittorio Emanuele II monument in Rome, on March 31, 2020 (AFP)
After supplying Ukraine with six military aid shipments, there is "not much left" in Italy’s military stockpiles, the Corriere Della Sera newspaper reported on Friday.
The report highlighted that with Italian industry crippled and replenishment from the US doubtful, the country is said to have only enough ammunition for two days of warfare.
The Italian newspaper cited a source in the Italian Defense Ministry as saying that the Italian army is right now in "serious difficulty" due to a shortage of heavy and light artillery ammunition.
According to the source, "there is not much left" on the shelves of the Italian military.
The report also cited other military personnel as saying that if Italy were attacked today, the country would have enough ammo to defend itself for "between 48 and 72 hours."
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy think tank, Italy supplied Ukraine with just over $727 million in military aid.
The Italian parliament approved a government decree in January that allowed for continuous military aid to Ukraine in 2023.
The Corriere Della Sera pointed out that Italian stockpiles were already depleted, explaining that with two-thirds of Italian manufacturing factories closing during the previous decade, it would take three years to complete existing orders for artillery ammunition and six years to replenish missile stocks.
In the same context, the Italian Defense Ministry source revealed that Italy asked the US for ammunition but was requested to "get in line" and told that the wait would be long, as per the Italian newspaper.
It is noteworthy that Italy is not the only European country to face a shortage in military supplies as a result of providing continuous military aid to Ukraine.
In fact, several retired generals suggested that after supplying Ukraine with its entire stock of AS-90 howitzers, as well as untold amounts of ammunition, the UK has enough ammo for only between three hours and a day of combat.
In October, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis announced that Lithuania had no more weapons left to give Ukraine.
Since mid-2022, German officials have warned that the country’s military had been left "exhausted" due to arming Ukraine.
In December 2022, the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned that the bloc had run out of military stockpiles as it provided Ukraine with an overwhelming amount of military support.
Lately, leaked Pentagon documents suggested that ammunition shortages may pause Kiev's long-promised spring offensive against Moscow.
