Ukrainian officials on Saturday stressed the continuing importance of foreign military aid as its forces struggle with shortages amid ongoing Russian aggression.
Speaking near the front line, the governor of Nikolaev Vitaly Kim called for more support from the United States and European allies, VOA News reported. He also pointed out that, at least in his region of Ukraine, the forces are running out of ammunition.
“The Russian army is more powerful, they have a lot of artillery and ammunition. So far this is an artillery war … and we are without ammunition,” Kim said. “The help of Europe and America is very, very important.
The Nikolaev region is located in southern Ukraine and has a small Black Sea coastline. Most of the fighting still taking place in the country is centered in the Donbass region to the far east, where separatist forces have tried to bring the region into line with Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has in the past justified the invasion of Ukraine, saying it was aimed at helping alleged Russian-speaking people in the Donbas.
A Ukrainian official on Saturday stressed the importance of ongoing military aid from allied countries as the country struggles with ammunition shortages. Above is a shot of a Ukrainian serviceman in the field. Anatoly Stepanov / AFP via Getty Images
Heavy weapons for the Ukrainian army
Ukrainian leaders continue to negotiate with allies for future arms supplies. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Saturday that he had held talks with his Polish counterpart, Zbigniew Rau, about sending heavy weapons to the Ukrainian military’s neighboring country. Rau also confirmed that the two were talking about a new round of sanctions against Russia.
The Russian military has recently suffered a potential shortage of ammunition, although this could lead to greater damage to Ukraine. Global security sources, including the Pentagon, said Russian forces did not have enough precision weapons, leaving them to rely on unmanageable munitions, also called “blunt bombs.”
Using these less sophisticated weapons, Russian forces are less able to carry out precision strikes on military targets. This has led to more severe and widespread collateral damage in civilian areas, especially in the disputed region of Donbass.
“The combined use of air and artillery strikes has been a key factor in Russia’s recent tactical success in the region,” the UK Ministry of Defense wrote in a June 4 update on the war in Ukraine. “The increased use of unmanageable ammunition has led to the widespread destruction of built-up areas in the Donbass and has almost certainly caused significant casualties and civilian casualties.”
Newsweek asked the US Department of Defense for comment.
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