BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th November, 2022) German cabinet spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said on Monday that the shortage of ammunition is observed in every unit of the country's armed forces, Bundeswehr, but the exact number of stocks is not disclosed over security reasons.
"I perfectly understand that we will not answer the last question. Not because we cannot, but because it is classified information," the spokesman told a briefing, when asked for how long the ammunition will last.
Hebestreit specified that the Bundeswehr in general struggles with ammunition shortages.
Col. Arne Collatz, press section chief at the country's Federal defense ministry, said that defense representatives do not speak of exact stocks of ammunition for "military security reasons."
At the same time, Collatz emphasized that the defense ministry is in regular discussion on the shortage issue with industrial enterprises, while the defense funding in itself has been increased. The chief specified that the ammunition budget for 2023 amounted to 1.12 billion Euros ($1.16 billion), from the 296 million euros in 2015.
Earlier in the day, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a meeting with ministries and advisers on the issue of ammunition shortages, caused in part by supplies to Ukraine and budget problems. Meanwhile, the federal government is mulling spending $20.8 billion of public funds to replenish supplies.
Since Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24, Western countries have been providing Kiev with humanitarian, military and financial aid. Moscow has denounced the flow of weapons to Ukraine from its Western allies, saying it adds fuel to the fire.
