Slovakia Supplies Millions of Rounds of Ammunition to Ukraine, Plans Defense Expansion

BUCHAREST, May 13. /TASS/. Slovakia supplies millions of rounds of ammunition to Ukraine on a commercial basis, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini told reporters following the summit of the Bucharest Nine, which includes Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Estonia. "Slovakia is supplying millions of rounds of ammunition to Ukraine on a commercial basis, and this volume will continue to grow," Pellegrini said. According to the president, Slovakia has become one of the largest producers of ammunition of various calibers within NATO. He added that the defense industry now accounts for nearly 3% of the country’s GDP. Pellegrini also said that Slovakia plans to steadily increase defense spending over the next 10 years to meet NATO requirements. He noted that the country is focusing on strengthening its air defense capabilities and has already begun producing unmanned aerial vehicles capable of intercepting other drones.