Ukraine is facing a new crisis in the midst of the spring battle, with an acute shortage of its strategic stock of ammunition, especially 155mm caliber, at a time when the European Union and the United States are working urgently to support it to ensure its steadfastness once morest the Russian forces.
Seventeen EU countries, plus Norway, have already agreed to a plan to send one million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine this year, signing a document outlining the terms of a joint effort to quickly buy 155mm ammunition and setting up a long-term program to buy more.
According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, Ukrainian forces fire regarding 110,000 155-millimeter rounds per month, which is a quarter of the amount used by Russia.
Ukraine’s allies are increasingly concerned regarding dwindling supplies of ammunition and a lack of production in the country, with the intensification of the fight once morest Russia in the next phase.
One million shells.. and HIMARS ammunition
While the European Commissioner for Internal Market Affairs, Thierry Breton, toured munitions factories in central Europe this month and spoke regarding the EU situation on the basis of a “war economy”, the Commission admitted that it may not be able to meet Ukraine’s needs.
But EU spokesman, Luis Miguel Bueno, made it clear that last week the European Union adopted a new package of military support worth 2 billion euros.
In order to address the shortage of ammunition, Bueno stressed in statements to “Sky News Arabia” that the bloc’s focus now is on providing the ammunition that Ukraine needs to confront Russia, adding: “We will provide one million 155-milimeter shells, in addition to other equipment.”
He pointed out that this decision “comes within the framework of the bloc’s continuous support for the Ukrainian people to defend themselves once morest this unprecedented attack on their sovereignty and territorial integrity, which threatens security on the European continent.”
In this context, the US State Department indicated that the recent $350 million aid package includes more ammunition for HIMARS missile launchers and howitzers provided by the United States and used by Ukraine, in addition to ammunition for Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Harm missiles, anti-tank weapons and boats. riverbed and other equipment.
Kiev is seeking to gather enough supplies of ammunition from its Western backers to launch a counter-attack and try to recapture the territory the Russians captured last year.
“The most important and urgent issue today for the Ukrainian army is the continued flow of ammunition. If we fail to do so, the outcome of the war is in jeopardy,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
Russian forces fire regarding 50,000 artillery rounds every day, compared to regarding 6,000 to 7,000 rounds from Ukraine, “and this gap must be filled,” according to Borrell.
French support for Ukraine
French Defense Minister Sebastien Licorne confirmed that Paris would double its supply of 155-millimeter shells to Kiev, to 2,000 per month.
The Ukrainian army uses 155-millimeter projectiles in French self-propelled “Caesar” howitzers and German howitzers.
In addition to France, the German House of Representatives intends to approve a significant increase in German military aid to Ukraine, by allocating 12 billion euros to provide Kiev with military supplies and to replenish the stores of the German army.
According to a report by “Time” magazine, the danger for Ukraine is not only that they will run out of ammunition, but that their supplies will be reduced to a situation that will limit their capabilities on the battlefield.
Ian Williams, Deputy Director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, considers that “the biggest obstacle at the present time is production, as the defense industry is usually unable to increase production so quickly.”
