BRUSSELS, April 14. /TASS/. Germany will send 500,000 artillery shells to Kiev as part of a European Union initiative to deliver a total of 2 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine, acting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced.

"Germany will provide a quarter of this amount," Baerbock told reporters ahead of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg. She noted the gathering would likely be her final EU Council session as foreign minister, as Germany is currently forming a new government expected to exclude the Greens, her party.

The arms delivery is part of a broader EU effort to bolster Ukraine’s defense amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.

On April 11, acting German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius outlined additional long-term military support for Ukraine, including the supply of four IRIS-T air defense systems, 300 guided missiles, and 100 radar units. The package will also feature 15 Leopard 1A5 tanks, 25 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 14 artillery guns, 300 reconnaissance drones, and around 100,000 artillery shells.

Germany is the second-largest supplier of military aid to Ukraine, after the United States. Since the conflict began, Berlin has contributed approximately €44 billion in military, financial, and humanitarian support.

Russia has repeatedly condemned Western military assistance to Ukraine, claiming that continued arms deliveries only serve to prolong the conflict.