– This is an artillery war now, says Vadym Skibitsky, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence. To The Guardian, he says that it is on the front lines that the future will be decided. – And we lose when it comes to artillery. Ukraine uses 5,000-6,000 artillery shells and rockets every day, according to Skibitsky. Now most of it is used up. – We are almost empty of ammunition. A Ukrainian soldier fires a grenade from an M777 howitzer in Donetsk Oblast on June 6. Photo: STRINGER / Reuters Skibitsky claims that Russia has 10-15 times more artillery than Ukraine, and that the western countries have donated about 10 percent of what they have. It is the further deliveries that have the most to say for the development in the war ahead, he says. – It all depends on what the west gives us. Used up the Soviet ammunition Lieutenant Colonel Palle Ydstebø at the War School says the lack of weapons has been discussed in recent weeks. Until now, before they got Western artillery, Ukraine has used the old ones from the Soviet era with ammunition that they had lying around. They do not have a large production of ammunition themselves. The arms deliveries to Ukraine must come faster now that the war is in a phase of wear and tear, says Lieutenant Colonel Palle Ydstebø. He is head of the section for land power at the War School. Photo: Gunhild Hjermundrud / Gunhild Hjermundrud American military sources tell the news agency AFP that Ukraine has now used up what they had of weapons from the Soviet era. Ukraine, which was part of the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991, has built much of its defense around standard Soviet-era equipment and Russia. It includes light weapons, tanks and howitzers, writes NTB. – How important is it that the West succeeds in donating weapons to Ukraine? – It is perhaps even more important now that the war, and especially in the Donbas, has been dominated by artillery. It has become a clearer war of attrition, meaning that they use large amounts of artillery to destroy the enemy’s defenses, says Ydstebø. Ukraine has proved good at fighting back against the Russians, despite having fewer weapons, the lieutenant colonel points out. But now the war requires a larger number of gunners. – They need large quantities of ammunition to keep this going, otherwise they only risk being mashed in the meat grinder with which the Russians wage their artillery war. US forces will ship weapons and defense equipment to Ukraine in late April. Photo: CPL. AUSTIN FRALEY / AFP Ukrainian intelligence claims that Russia can continue the war at the current pace for at least one year, without producing new weapons or calling in new forces. Not happy with the pace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Britain on Friday for its support in the war so far. – Weapons, funding, sanctions – on these three points Britain shows leadership, he said in a video speech. Earlier this week, one of Zelensky’s advisers announced that they needed 60 more rocket launchers if they were to have a chance to win over Russia. Minister of Defense Oleksij Reznikov says there is a great need for more weapons. – I can not say that I am satisfied with the pace and quantity of arms deliveries. Ydstebø says the number varies, but that Russia has a city between four and ten times as many weapons as Ukraine. – Russia is superior in both guns, ie artillery, and ammunition. So even if Ukraine is better and uses what they have, it will not be able to compensate for the volume that the Russians manage to line up with. – Is it easier for Russia to just stand still and fire weapons against Ukraine? – Yes, it is, and they have actually done so completely since the war got stuck during the first couple of weeks. They have shot in pieces what is within reach of them. Ydstebø refers to, among others, Chernihiv. About 70 percent of the city has been destroyed by Russian artillery. Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka / AP Fewer missile attacks In the first month of the war, Russia “constantly” fired missiles at Ukraine. In the last two months, on the other hand, activity must have decreased. Russia now sends an average of 10-14 missiles daily, according to the commander of Ukraine’s armed forces. “We have noticed that Russia fires far fewer missile attacks, and they have used H-22 missiles, the old Soviet missiles from the 1970s,” Skibitsky told The Guardian. Graphics: “INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR AND AEI’S CRITICAL THREATS PROJECT / news Graphics:“ INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR AND AEI’S CRITICAL THREATS PROJECT / news Among the reasons is the price of producing missiles, which varies between several hundred thousand dollars to several million. – This shows that Russia has few missiles left. British intelligence also points out that Russia is resorting to ineffective weapon systems because they lack more precise and modern missiles. Next week, NATO defense ministers will meet in Brussels to discuss the war in Ukraine. Then it is expected that Ukraine will come up with a new list of weapons and defense equipment they need.
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– We are almost empty of ammunition – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
