Shoigu promises Russian invasion forces more ammunition amid shortages
Sergei Shoigu (Photo:Sputnik/Sergei Fadeichev/Pool via REUTERS)
Russia will take measures to up production of the most urgently needed kinds of ammunition for its army, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has said at a meeting at meeting of senior army commanders, Kremlin-controlled news outlet RIA Novosti reported on Telegram on April 1.
The issue of supply is continually monitored by the government and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Shoigu said.
Meanwhile, “the amount of (ammunition) produced to supply the troops has evidently grown exponentially,” including both conventional and precision weapons, Shoigu added.
According to the Russian Defense Minister, this will allow them to accomplish the “assigned tasks” on the front.
Nevertheless, Russian forces have regularly complained about a shortage of ammunition, and Ukraine has noted a decrease in Russian artillery fire in recent weeks as the invasion force continues a stuttering offensive across the front.
Russia’s munitions usage has decreased from 60,000 to 19-20,000 per day, the head of Ukrainian military’s Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, said in January.
Meanwhile, White House National Security Council’s Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby recently said that Russia wants to send a delegation to North Korea to obtain ammunition in exchange for food.
Russia will do everything possible to procure ammunition, drones, and missiles for the war against Ukraine, said Ukrainian Air Force Command spokesperson, Yuriy Ihnat.
Ukraine’s rate of fire of artillery has also dropped, it is thought because it is also suffering ammunition shortages.
However, Ukraine may also be stocking up on ammunition ahead of a long-expected offensive this spring or summer. The country’s military allies have continued to send ammunition for the suite of artillery weapons Ukraine now possesses, but their own stocks of artillery are thought to be heavily depleted.
Ukraine has set up production of 152 mm artillery shells — the kind used by some of its Soviet-era artillery, but it also needs 155 mm shells for its newer, Western-supplied weapons.
However, as Ukraine is currently expending around 350,000 shells per month as it battles Russian invasion forces in the south and east of the country, this would be enough to keep the guns firing for less than three months.
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