Ukraine’s European allies are actively increasing artillery shell production and eliminating component shortages that slow down weapons deliveries.
German defense company Rheinmetall announced on April 7 that it had acquired and repurposed Hagerdorn-NC, a company specializing in the production of nitrocellulose, to strengthen its supply chain of explosives for ammunition, especially 155mm artillery shells, the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported.
“Rheinmetall already has production facilities in Switzerland, Spain and South Africa. By 2028, the company plans to increase explosives production by more than 50%. Its subsidiary Nitrochemie Aschau has increased production by 60% since 2022 and intends to increase capacity by another 40% by mid-2025,” the ISW report said.
ISW also noted the issue of dependence on China. In April 2024, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger and Saab CEO Mikael Johansson said that China supplies most of Europe’s ammunition components, creating bottlenecks in production.
According to the International Trade Center, China accounts for nearly half of all explosives materials sold worldwide. The largest importers of raw materials are Germany, Sweden and Belgium, which are major ammunition producers in the EU.
In response to this situation, Rheinmetall has expanded its supply of cotton fibre (the main raw material for the production of nitrocellulose, a compound used in the production of explosives because of its explosive properties) from Europe and EU partner countries by 2025 and created a strategic reserve for many years to come.
Notable comments in ISW’s April 7 report:
First, the Kremlin continues to deny the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government, arguing that Ukraine is not a legitimate negotiating partner and demanding government change and demilitarization .
Second, Ukrainian officials did not report any Russian long-range missile or drone attacks on the night of April 6-7 or on April 7, following the largest Russian airstrike in a month on the night of April 5-6.
Ukrainian officials confirmed on April 6 that a Russian missile attack on the capital Kiev killed at least one person and injured three others, causing damage and fires in several districts.
It was the first large-scale attack using missiles and drones since the US announced late last month that the Trump administration had brokered two cease-fire agreements between Russia and Ukraine, including one to halt attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure.
On the night of April 5 and early morning of April 6, Russian forces carried out a coordinated attack on Ukraine, launching 23 missiles and 109 drones.
The Ukrainian Air Force said the Russian attack affected the Kiev, Sumy, Kharkov, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy and Mykolaiv provinces.
Ukrainian forces claimed that 53 Russian air targets were shot down, including six Kh-101/Kh-55SM cruise missiles, six Kalibr cruise missiles, one Iskander-M ballistic missile and 40 Shahed drones. An additional 53 drones disappeared from radar.
Third, Ukraine’s European allies continue to ramp up domestic arms production and address shortages that are hampering the production of artillery shells.
Fourth, Russian authorities may have facilitated the removal of a prominent Russian insider information channel from Telegram as part of an ongoing effort to restrict Moscow’s information space.
On Thursday, Russian troops advanced into the Belgorod region and near Seversk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk and Velikaya Novosyolka, as well as in the western part of the Zaporizhia region.
