Former Czech prime minister condemns Babiš for revealing details of Ukraine shell initiative

Former Czech prime minister Petr Fiala has criticised current government chief Andrej Babiš for publicly disclosing classified details of an initiative to supply ammunition to Ukraine, saying the episode has threatened Czech security.

Fiala has said that the disclosure threatens the security of the Czech Republic and puts at risk specific individuals and companies involved in the shell initiative.

"I cannot understand how someone who has already served as prime minister of the Czech Republic is unable to grasp this and acts so irresponsibly," Fiala wrote on X.

It has emerged that the Czech prime minister has released information about funds that Czech companies spent on the initiative to supply shells to Ukraine. The media outlet České noviny reported that the amount is US$13.2 billion. Babiš has also accused his predecessor of concealing the information.

Andrej Babiš, the leader of the ANO party, promised earlier to scrap the ammunition initiative that helps supply Ukraine with artillery shells.

He later struck a more measured tone, saying the initiative should be handled at NATO level.

During a recent Ukraine Defence Contact Group (also known as the Ramstein format) meeting, Czechia announced that funding had already been secured for the delivery of 760,000 artillery shells in 2026.