How Russia and Ukraine are struggling to keep up artillery ammunition supplies | DW Analysis

How Russia and Ukraine are struggling to keep up artillery ammunition supplies | DW Analysis

Both Russia and Ukraine have been focusing on long range weapons. Which means finding enough of this has become a major priority for both sides. They are burning through a lot of resources as they pound each other with long-range artillery weapons. The weapons themselves come in many shapes and sizes.

Estimates for how much ammunition both sides are using in the Ukraine war vary widely. Western experts estimate Ukraine used between 6,000 to 7,000 artillery shells a day in the summer of 2022, and Russia between 20,000 and 60,000. Exact numbers are military secrets. But even when considering conservative estimates, that’s more than either side can produce itself. The Unites States, Ukraine’s main supplier of ammunition, only produced around 500 rounds a day at the time. And that is just counting conventional shells, not rockets.

When it comes to Russian supplies, it’s clear the country is digging deep into its stocks. Ukrainian officials say Russia is firing less artillery shells now than last year, and using old ammunition, which suggests the Russian military is trying to conserve shells.
Ukraine on the other hand has to deal with a mix of old Soviet equipment and modern weapons supplied by Western allies. Ukraine is dependent on those allies to deliver enough ammunition for the weapons they provided. And they need deal with the logistical issues, caused by all these different weapons needing all kinds of different supplies and parts.44Both sides are now having to ration supplies, including ammunition. And upping capacities to re-stock will take a significant amount of time. For that, both sides depend on other nations. As the war drags on, these issues are likely to become even more important. Russia is expected to launch a fresh offensive that will keep burning through its stocks – and Ukraine is already pleading with the West for more ammunition to defend itself.”

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