– Before, the Russians used 60,000 grenades a day, now they are down to 19,000 to 20,000, Kyrylo Budanov told Ukrainian television. Budanov heads Ukrainian military intelligence. The Americans have different figures, but say they have seen the same trend. – The Russian consumption is now approximately 5,000 grenades a day, down from 20,000, writes CNN. The sources of the news channel are what are called US officials. Independent confirmation of these figures is not possible. Throughout the war, the pattern has been that the Ukrainians have high figures on Russian activity and Russian losses. The Americans have operated with conservative figures. It was in May and June last year that the Russians used the most artillery. ALMOST SIMILAR: The Ukrainians use, among other things, the MT-12 anti-tank gun as regular artillery. The Ukrainians now have access to so much artillery that they are almost firing as much as the Russians. Photo: SAMEER AL-DOUMY / AFP Decrease in the number of places In the last two weeks, there has also been a decrease in the number of places the Russians attack with artillery per day. It is a different number than the number of shells used. When the Russians fire at a target with artillery, the number of shells used can vary greatly. On January 1, the Russians attacked 93 places with artillery. This Wednesday the number was 78. The source of this is the Ukrainian General Staff. – The decline in the use of artillery does not apply in all places and on all days. Especially at Bakhmut and Kreminna, the Russians can still use large quantities of grenades, the sources tell CNN. DECLINE: The graph shows how many places in Ukraine have been shelled by Russian artillery. From the new year there has been a decline. Photo: UGS/ragnarbjartur Struggling with supplies – The Russians use up their stocks of artillery ammunition very quickly. It’s really remarkable how fast it’s going, US intelligence chief Avril Haines said in December. She added that the Russians are not able to produce as much as they consume. The US Defense Force believed in December that by early 2023 the Russians will have used up their stocks of quality ammunition. UNSAFE AMMUNITION: Image from a Russian weapons depot. Old and perhaps damaged ammunition can, among other things, be a danger to the user. Photo: yaplaka – This will force them to increasingly use ammunition that is in poor condition. Munitions that may not work, a senior Pentagon official said. Has consequences Budanov in the Ukrainian intelligence claims that the Russians have emptied the stocks of artillery ammunition in Belarus. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes this affects what the Russians can do. – That the warehouses in Belarus have been emptied is a further indication that a new attack against Ukraine from Belarus is unlikely in the coming months, writes ISW. The institute points out that the reported lack of ammunition may also prevent the Russians from carrying out major offensive operations in Ukraine. The Russian doctrine is to use large amounts of artillery to break down the enemy’s defensive positions. This is what they have done until now at the front in Bakhmut. DOCTRINE: Photo taken in the town of Soledar near Bakhmut on 2 January. The city has now fallen. Russian artillery has caused almost the entire city to be destroyed. Photo: Maxar Can open for the Ukrainians It is expected that the Ukrainians will carry out a major attack during the first part of the year. The military analyst Phillips OBrien believes the lack of ammunition will make it difficult for the Russians to defend themselves against such an attack. Military expert Mick Ryan writes that it is still possible for the Russians to launch offensive operations. He points out that the Russian mobilization has given them access to many soldiers. At the same time, Ryan points to the ammunition shortage. – They do not now have the same resources to carry out attacks as they had in February, writes Ryan on Twitter.
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The Russians use far less artillery – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
