Armed Forces spend three times less ammunition than Russian army, - Washington Post
Both the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Russian Army have noticed a lack of ammunition. The Ukrainians fire a projectile every six seconds - and this is three times less than the Russians.
The Washington Post writes about it, Censor.NET reports with reference to RBC-Ukraine.
A Ukrainian military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the publication that even in the face of shortages, the armed forces are firing about 7,700 shells a day, or about one every six seconds.
Russia shoots more - according to some estimates, three times more, the article says.
In order to keep up with the enemy and at the same time save ammunition, the Ukrainian military is now more discerning in the selection of targets, often preferring equipment to small groups of infantry. Accuracy is key because misses mean wasted rounds.
Artillery shells for Soviet-era Ukrainian guns, which make up the bulk of their arsenal, have long been in short supply. This forced reliance on artillery provided to Kyiv by the Western Allies.
At the rate at which Ukraine is firing, these reserves may soon run out, and Western countries are scrambling to ramp up production. In February, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that "the current rates of ammunition consumption by Ukraine are many times higher than our current rates of production."
Countries that still have stockpiles of Soviet-standard 152mm and 122mm shells are mostly former Soviet republics, many of which are reluctant to sell ammunition to Ukraine because of their ties to Russia. Some countries in Africa and the Middle East, which have received weapons and ammunition from Russia for many years, also have stocks of these shells. Several former Warsaw Pact countries have the capacity to produce projectiles, but not at the scale and speed that Ukraine needs on the battlefield.
Sometimes a third country friendly to Ukraine purchases ammunition - sometimes through an intermediary - and then secretly supplies it to Ukraine to avoid political consequences for the seller. Often the result is that a single artillery weapon on the battlefield may have shells made in multiple countries that soldiers say may fire differently, affecting accuracy.
The United States has been scouring the world for supplies of Soviet artillery shells, but delivery could take months. As part of a larger package of security assistance, the Pentagon said on Tuesday it would provide an unspecified number of artillery shells, including 122mm rounds that it does not produce. Such shells are used by the Ukrainian D-30.
Rob Lee, a military analyst at the Institute for Foreign Policy Studies, said he suspected the United States and other Western partners had increased supplies of ammunition ahead of the spring offensive.
US officials said that China is considering sending 122 mm and 152 mm shells to Russia. Lee said that if it did happen, it "could significantly change the course of the war."
"This is ultimately an artillery war, so the side that has more artillery shells or can produce more and sustain them over the long term will have a significant advantage," Lee said. "The availability of artillery ammunition is one of the most important factors in this war."
Russia continues to fire more than Ukraine on a daily basis, but Ukrainian officials have said they have noticed their enemy becoming increasingly conservative, a sign that they, too, may be running out of ammunition. In social media posts, Russian military bloggers and soldiers complain of a shortage of ammunition.
