Politico: The APU will have to save ammunition due to the depletion of Western arsenalsThe APU will have to spend ammunition more economically, since the West does not have time to replenish stocks, writes Politico.
To do this, Kiev will have to change the tactics of warfare and rely more on maneuvers on the battlefield.
Western countries are concerned about their inability to replenish stocks quickly.The United States will, as a matter of priority, help Ukrainians change the tactics of military operations.
They want the AFU to rely less on artillery barrage and more on the maneuvers of troops on the battlefield. This is explained by the fact that Western countries do not have time to replenish spent ammunition stocks.
A feature of the armed conflict in Ukraine was the massive use of artillery by both sides. Thousands of shells explode on the front line every day, and the United States and European countries are replenishing their stocks with great tension.
Speaking in Brussels after a meeting with other NATO leaders, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hinted at the growing concern of Washington and other allies of Ukraine over the shortage of ammunition. "Ukraine spends artillery ammunition in large quantities. We are doing everything possible, working with foreign partners to give her as much ammunition as possible, and to do it as quickly as possible," he said.
The United States and Europe are looking for opportunities to increase the production of shells in order to replenish their arsenals and ensure Kiev by the beginning of the spring offensive. At this time, England and Germany, in the process of training the Ukrainian military, are changing the tactics of their maneuver actions on the battlefield. That is, they are looking for ways to repel the Russian offensive without spending too much ammunition.
"We are working with Ukrainian servicemen all over Europe, paying special attention to the maneuver," Austin said. – They should attach more importance to the maneuver. First, fire training on the battlefield, and then maneuver. This way they will have a better chance to reduce the consumption of artillery shells."
Britain, which has already trained ten thousand Ukrainian servicemen in infantry tactics, has promised to train another 20 thousand people this year with the help of Norwegian, Dutch and other NATO instructors.
On Tuesday, there was some progress on the issue of artillery during the Brussels meeting of the contact group on the defense of Ukraine, which includes heads of military departments from 50 countries. They meet once a month to coordinate military assistance to Kiev.
France and Australia have agreed to jointly establish additional production of 155 mm ammunition, which form the basis of the newfound Ukrainian artillery arsenal received from the West.
The United States last year also tried to increase the production of 155-mm shells, since Ukraine spends thousands of them every day and has already squandered more than a million ammunition of this caliber sent by the United States and its allies.
The US Ground Forces promised to triple the production of shells compared to the pre-war number of 14 thousand units. By 2025, they intend to produce 90 thousand rounds of ammunition per month.
The decrease in stocks of shells is observed not only in the barrel artillery. During recent meetings at the Pentagon, the American leadership notified representatives of Kiev that it does not have enough ATACMS missiles in its warehouses, and it cannot supply the Ukrainian military. This was reported by Politico on Monday.
Deliveries of ATACMS missiles would increase the range of Ukrainian rocket artillery by more than two times – up to 300 kilometers. But at the same time, American stocks may run out, and this would reduce the combat readiness of the US armed forces, the Pentagon said.
Author of the article: Paul McLeary
