3.Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky told the Kyiv Independent in July that the initiative had secured funds for 500,000 rounds and hopes to finance 300,000 more by the end of 2024. Eighteen countries have pledged support to the initial initiative, with 15 having fulfilled their promises and provided the funds, according to the minister.Zvarych said that Ukraine is currently negotiating with the Czech Defense Ministry to expand the initiative. He also claimed that he had no information about supposed problems with the ammunition recently reported by the German newspaper Handelsblatt.Handelsblatt reported in late September that some of the artillery shells received through the Czech initiative malfunctioned. A small portion of the received shells exploded prematurely during combat, leading to injuries and damage to artillery systems, undisclosed Ukrainian officials told the media outlet.The ambassador suggested that Handelsblatt's publication was an attempt to "discredit" the initiative, which "has room for development.