NEW YORK, November 21. /TASS/. The European Union expects to produce 1 million 155 mm artillery shells by the spring of 2024, which are actively used by the Ukrainian military in battles, but may not reach the target. This was announced by the head of the Military Committee EU General Robert Briger, speaking at an international security forum in Halifax, Canada.

“Our ambition is this: by the spring of next year to produce 1 million 155 mm artillery shells. We will probably not be able to fully realize this goal,” said the military leader, as quoted by the American portal Defense One.

Briger also noted that the EU has rapidly increased arms production both for Kyiv and for its own needs. Touching on the issue of the Ukrainian conflict in general, the Austrian general admitted that Russian power is stable, despite the attempted rebellion in June and Western sanctions pressure.

“Russia has enormous potential for increasing production capacity, as it proved during World War II. It’s a big economy,” he added.

The head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, announced plans to provide Ukraine with 1 million shells and missiles at the end of February. However, as German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius later noted, the EU should assume that this goal will not be met within a year. According to him, EU countries are negotiating with the defense industry on this matter. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said this month that EU countries now produce less than 1 million shells a year, while the required production volume is three times that.