Evgenia Sokolenko09:33, 05/26/24

5 min.1774

The Armed Forces are forced to fight in conditions where the enemy fires five shots for one of their shots.

Russia produces artillery shells about three times faster than Ukraine’s Western allies, and they cost a quarter less.

This is evidenced by an analysis shared by  Sky News . Calculations by Bain & Company, a consulting company, highlight a serious problem facing the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as they rely on the supply of ammunition from the US and Europe to fight the Russian Federation.

Missile starvation of the Armed Forces

It is noted that the full-scale war between Ukraine and the occupiers was described from the very beginning as a “fire battle” due to the number of artillery shells used. This has prompted the Allies to seek to increase production at their factories, but their capacity still lags that of Russia, despite a combined economic power that far exceeds Moscow’s.

According to the Ukrainian military on the front line, for every one of their shots, the invading forces can fire about five shells in response. In dealing with this problem, the Defense Forces have learned to make every attack a success.

“Often with one, two or three shells, we can completely destroy the target,” said Senior Lieutenant Konstantin, commander of the artillery battery of the 57th Brigade, which is fighting the new Russian invasion of the Kharkiv region.

According to him, the Armed Forces still need additional support. This is necessary for the effective deterrence of the Russian Federation, so that every meter of land they try to capture costs them hundreds of lives.

Production of ammunition

The study found that Russian factories are likely to produce or refurbish about 4.5 million artillery shells this year, compared with a total production of about 1.3 million in European countries and the United States.

At the same time, the cost of production of a 155-mm projectile by NATO countries is about 4 thousand dollars per unit, while Russia produces a 152-mm projectile for a thousand dollars.

Another problem is that during training, our soldiers are forced to simply pretend to fire weapons. In fact, they use ammunition for the first time already on the battlefield.

“We are short of N-LAW and we need more. We would like to thank our Western partners for their help. But if possible, we would be very grateful if they could provide more ammunition to NATO,” said the soldier with the call sign ” Bolt”, who conducted training for new fighters of the reconnaissance battalion of the 5th brigade.

According to many experts, it is the factory production lines, and not the front, that can decide the fate of the war. Journalists of the publication visited the factory in Belfast, where the company Thales assembles N-LAW missiles.

Assembly takes place in a large hall that combines metal grinding machines and tables where delicate work takes place on tiny but vital components. Back then, business hours were from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., four days a week.

Philip McBride, managing director of Thales Belfast, said N-LAW’s production capacity had doubled since the start of the year and there was scope to double it again.

He noted that these munitions are supplied by the British Ministry of Defense to the Armed Forces, and not directly by Thales. In this regard, our defenders initially received missiles that were in the British arsenals. After that, London conducted a procurement process to replenish its own needs, and even then another order was placed again.

Another factor is that it can take up to two years to get the parts needed for N-LAW. McBride added that the sooner the order comes in, the sooner they can ramp up production.

Currently, the plant is undergoing extensive work on modernization of equipment and the possibility of further expansion of production lines. They also almost doubled the number of employees – from 500 to 900 at two facilities.

The war in Ukraine – ammunition for the Armed Forces

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that  the delay in aid from the US had a direct impact on the war  and the situation along the border.

In May, Le Monde interviewed soldiers from five different brigades stationed in Donbas, where the fiercest fighting continues. And they all confirmed that neither the ammunition related to the “Czech plan” nor the ammunition related to the US aid package reached them.

However, within a week, Reuters reported that Ukrainian servicemen  in the Kharkiv region  had finally received shells to stop the Russian forces.

(C)UNIAN 2024