Poland delivered 100 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine. Details on Germany and USA

On the occasion of the meeting summarizing the year of work by the Council for Aid to Kyiv, the PM’s Office compiled an overview of assistance to Ukraine. It covers various areas—from humanitarian and logistical aid to military support. The data show that up to July 2024 some 44 military aid packages, worth a total of €4 billion, had been handed over to Kyiv. „Tens of thousands” of Ukrainian soldiers have also been trained.  

Below are the figures for Poland’s military aid to Ukraine in 2022–2024:

• 586 armoured vehicles. Types not specified, but likely around 400 of them are BMP‑1 infantry fighting vehicles; others include the Dzik, Rosomak and BRDM‑2. It is unclear whether this total also includes equipment transferred via the Military Property Agency;
• 137 artillery systems. Types not specified; among them, 54 Krab howitzers have been delivered. Gvozdika howitzers and BM‑21 rocket launchers were also provided. It is unclear how much of this figure comes from Poland's own military stockpiles rather than active units—though it presumably excludes the 54 newly‑manufactured Krabs.;
• 318 tanks (probably including 14 Leopard 2A4s, about 270 T‑72M/M1/M1R, and 30 PT‑91 Twardy);
• 10 Mi-24 Helicopters;
• 10 MiG-29 Fighters;
• 100 million rounds of ammunition. 

These figures align with those given during Minister Paweł Zalewski’s visit to Kyiv in March. While the transfer of large quantities of equipment—tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery systems and aircraft platforms—had been discussed previously (and detailed figures appeared in Defence24.pl analyses), the amount of ammunition supplied warrants special comment.

Naturally, this includes all types of ammunition, and the greatest share was almost certainly small‑calibre (firearms) rounds. The exact breakdown is likely classified. However, by comparing to other countries, which—due to their location and the roles they play in aiding Ukraine—publish more detailed data, some inferences can be made. 

United States have supplied (or contracted for) the following ammunition for Ukraine:

• Over 3 million rounds of 155 mm artillery ammunition;
• 1 million rounds of 105 mm artillery ammunition;
• More than 107 000 rounds of specialized 155 mm ammunition (precision, for scatterable mining);
• Over 500 000 rounds of towed Soviet‑calibre artillery munitions (122 mm, 130 mm, 152 mm);
• 10 000 rounds of 203 mm artillery ammunition;
• Over 700 000 mortar rounds;
• Over 500 million hand grenade and small‑arms rounds;
• Rocket ammunition (tens of thousands of HIMARS rockets), anti‑aircraft and tank rounds, and over 20 000 anti‑tank guided missiles (Javelin and TOW), among others.

Thus, in the American figures, artillery ammunition by count represents only about 1 % of the total supplied.

Germany, for its part, has delivered 60 million rounds of small‑arms ammunition to Ukraine, as well as: 

• 454 000 rounds of 155 mm artillery ammunition (with another 200 000 planned);
• 330 000 rounds for Gepard anti‑aircraft systems;
• 500 000 rounds for 40 mm grenade launchers and 120 mm mortars;
• 314 000 rounds for .338 calibre precision rifles. 

They have also provided classified quantities of precision‑guided munitions—HIMARS rockets, Vulcano artillery projectiles, etc.—and several thousand surface‑to‑air missiles, including Stinger and Striela, plus over 300 Patriot interceptors and more than 600 IRIS‑T SLM missiles.

And what kind of ammunition has Poland been sending to Ukraine? Beyond that intended for the Krab howitzers, Piorun man‑portable air‑defence systems and modern Feniks rockets, it was almost certainly predominantly Soviet‑origin ammunition—both small‑arms and heavier artillery rounds. Exact figures are not disclosed and are likely highly classified. But if we look at the proportions of infantry‑round deliveries among Poland’s allies (where artillery rounds usually make up over 1 % of the total), we can assume that Poland transferred a significant share of its Warsaw Pact–era stockpiles of Soviet ammunition—122 mm and 152 mm artillery shells (for Gvozdika and Dana howitzers), as well as 125 mm tank rounds (for T‑72s and other vehicles).   

Of course, a major share of the ammunition delivered has been small‑arms rounds, mostly of Soviet origin (e.g. 7.62 mm). Polish ammunition was crucial to Ukraine in the early days of the defence, when Kyiv relied more heavily on Soviet‑legacy equipment and when Western countries (and Ukraine itself) were still ramping up their production capacities and supply chains, which today account for an ever‑greater share of front‑line deliveries.

This also explains why Poland made such extensive purchases of artillery and armoured systems from its allies (along with associated ammunition packages) during 2022–2024, including Abrams and K2 tanks and K9 howitzers. Aid to Ukraine—especially ammunition—in the first year of the war was so intensive that Poland’s Warsaw Pact–era stocks have now effectively been exhausted. It is worth noting that Poland has already provided Ukraine with the 45th and 46th aid packages; the 47th package is in preparation.