KYIV: After months of severe shortages, western media, quoting sources in Ukraine’s armed forces reported on Friday that Western ammunition supplies are significantly increasing.
The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces and members of three brigades stationed in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine noted a noticeable improvement compared to earlier this year.
“There has been marked improvement over the past month, especially for 155mm artillery shells,” said a Ukrainian sergeant using the call sign “Luntik,” a common military nickname, speaking to AFP.
He recounted that in the first quarter of the year, his unit strictly rationed ammunition to “six shells every 24 hours,” whereas now they are permitted “up to 40 per day.”
“In areas like the Kharkiv region, where Russia launched a recent land offensive, there are no longer strict limits,” he added.
President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the ongoing challenges on Friday, stating, “Our Ukrainian forces have stabilized the situation and halted the offensive,” emphasizing the resilience shown despite difficult conditions.
The Ukrainian military, significantly outnumbered and facing a better-equipped adversary, has relied heavily on Western supplies.
Since late 2023, delays in European and US arms deliveries have left Ukrainian forces particularly vulnerable. Although a $61-billion aid package was approved by the US Congress in April, frontline deliveries can still take weeks to months.
“While the new supplies have not yet matched 2023 levels, we expect to reach comparable levels soon,” noted Sergeant Luntik optimistically.
Another artillery serviceman in a different brigade in the region confirmed, “Conditions have markedly improved.”
However, a soldier from a third brigade cautioned, “Unfortunately, the enemy still maintains an advantage in personnel and artillery systems. For a conflict of this intensity, we will continue to require more and more resources.”
Luntik highlighted the persistent challenge: “Even when we destroy Russian artillery systems, they are swiftly replaced the next day.”
According to a source at the general staff, the dynamics have shifted in Kyiv’s favor due to increased Western supplies: “Currently, Ukrainian forces are using ammunition at a ratio of one to three compared to Russian forces, compared to one to seven previously.”
“Our supplies have increased while theirs have decreased,” the source affirmed.
