Tarnavskyi said the shortage of artillery shells was a “very big problem” and the drop in foreign military aid was having an impact on the battlefield….reports Asian Lite News
Frontline Ukrainian troops face shortages of artillery shells and have scaled back some military operations because of a shortfall of foreign assistance, a senior army general told Reuters.
Brig. Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi was speaking after Republican lawmakers held up a $60-billion US aid package and Hungary blocked $54.5 billion in European Union funding for Kyiv as it battles Russia’s invasion.
“There’s a problem with ammunition, especially post-Soviet (shells) — that’s 122 mm, 152 mm. And today these problems exist across the entire front line,” he said in an interview.
Brig. Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi was speaking after Republican lawmakers held up a $60-billion US aid package and Hungary blocked $54.5 billion in European Union funding for Kyiv as it battles Russia’s invasion.
Tarnavskyi said the shortage of artillery shells was a “very big problem” and the drop in foreign military aid was having an impact on the battlefield.
“The volumes that we have today are not sufficient for us today, given our needs. So, we’re redistributing it. We’re replanning tasks that we had set for ourselves and making them smaller because we need to provide for them,” he said, without providing details.
The comments underline Kyiv’s reliance on Western military aid to fight Russian troops along a 1,000-km front nearly 22 months into the biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two.
Russian forces also face ammunition problems, Tarnavskyi said, without specifying their nature.
Weary Ukrainian troops on the southeastern front have gone on the defensive in some areas but are trying to attack in others, he said.
Ukrainian forces still expect victories but would benefit from reserves to rotate and rest them, he said.
“In some areas, we moved (to defense), and in some we continue our offensive actions — by maneuver, fire and by moving forward. And we are preparing our reserves for our further large-scale actions,” he said.
ALSO READ: ‘US Would Welcome India’s Role in Resolving International Conflicts’
