Ukrainian advanced troops are so short of ammunition that they “patronize cartridges on cards”

A Ukrainian soldier lays shells in an IFV during an exercise Photo: Anadolu Agency

Ukrainian forces are so short of ammunition that some have advanced artillery units can only fire once or twice a day.

According to a Washington Post report, the 59th Motorized Rifle Brigade in eastern Ukraine is only allowed to fire two rounds at Russian forces a day, up from 20 or 30 previously .

“We don’t have much ammunition, so we don’t work much,” the commander said.

Projectile shortages arise as the Ukrainian military prepares for a spring counteroffensive. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the much-talked about offensive cannot begin until Ukraine receives more weapons from its Western backers.

But Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, told Ukrainian commanders that the West simply can't supply Ukrainian forces fast enough to keep up its rate of fire. jpg» /> Ukrainian soldiers are preparing to open fire from a self-propelled howitzer on Russian troops Photo: OLEKSANDR KLYMENKO

Russian forces also complain that they are running out of ammunition, but the Ukrainian military command said that Russian supplies of artillery shells to their forward units seem to be much more effective than their own.

«We have repeatedly said» Shell hunger «There were no places where Russia concentrated its efforts, and in our case these were (problems) on the Bakhmut, Kupyansk and Liman fronts,» Serhiy Cherevaty, a spokesman for the Eastern part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, told Ukrainian radio this week.

«Unfortunately, Russia still has a significant opportunity to attack our positions.»

A Ukrainian soldier fires a grenade launcher during an April 7 exercise. Photo: GENIA SAVILOV

Western supply lines to Ukraine are long and complex, and are regularly bombarded by Russian missiles and drones.

Arms experts say, however, the main problem is that the military production base The West is simply not equipped to produce enough ammunition. to fuel such a grueling war, which has now hardened along static front lines and forced both armies to resort to artillery to defend their positions and support infantry attacks.

Jimmy Rushton, a British military analyst from Kiev, said the Western politicians need to decide quickly how to increase the production of artillery shells.

“This highlights the critical importance of Western efforts to increase the production and supply of ammunition, especially 155mm shells, for the Ukrainian military,” he said.