Ukraine Urgently Seeks Ammunition Amid Shortage

Ukraine's Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, has informed EU counterparts of a severe ammunition shortage facing the country's Armed Forces, leaving them significantly outmatched by Russian troops in artillery ammunition. Bloomberg reported this alarming situation on Jan. 31.

In a letter to EU defense ministers, Umerov stressed the vital role of ammunition in warfare, noting, "The side with the most ammunition usually wins."

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He outlined the stark artillery firepower discrepancy, disclosing that Ukraine can only manufacture a maximum of 2,000 shells per day for its extensive 1,500-kilometer front line. This production rate is drastically lower than the daily shell consumption of Russian forces.

Underlining the critical nature of the situation, Umerov urged the swift delivery of the promised one million artillery shells by the EU. This support is crucial for Ukraine to offset Russia's firepower advantage. Furthermore, the letter specifies Ukraine's monthly requirement of 200,000 155mm shells. In contrast, Russia has been strengthening its ammunition reserves, reportedly receiving approximately one million shells from North Korea. This plea follows EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell's statement on Jan. 31, indicating that by March, the EU would only fulfill 52% of its commitment to provide Ukraine with one million artillery shells within a year. On Jan. 11, the European Commission had earlier announced that EU countries would only be capable of producing one million rounds by the end of the winter of 2024, underscoring the challenges in meeting Ukraine's immediate ammunition needs.