Ukraine is facing a critical ammunition shortage, forcing soldiers to ration artillery shells, a US newspaper has reported.
The newspaper pointed to an artillery platoon of the 59th Motorized Brigade stationed in eastern Ukraine, where Russia continues its special military operation.
The newspaper argued that the shell shortage forces some Kiev troops to wade through mined fields and forests to look for abandoned ammunition.
In addition, the newspaper claimed, some Ukrainian soldiers go to underground workshops where they purportedly use 3D printers in order to recycle unexploded ordinances and create alternative munitions.
The outlet also asserted that former republics of the USSR currently possess stocks of Soviet-standard 152mm and 122mm rounds, but that many of them "are hesitant to sell to Ukraine because of their ties with Russia."
The claims came after Ukrainian Minister for Strategic Industries Alexander Kamyshin said earlier this week that Kiev and Warsaw have agreed to joint manufacture 125 mm tank shells during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent visit to Poland. The main goal of the Ukrainian Ministry for Strategic Industries is to increase ammunition production by efforts of Ukrainian companies and in partnership with foreign manufacturers, Kamyshin added.
Last week,
the Biden administration launched an investigation into a reported leak of classified documents that details US and NATO plans for the Ukrainian military ahead of its purported counteroffensive against Russian forces this spring.
Earlier in April, the Biden administration announced a new package of military assistance for Ukraine in the amount of $2.6 billion, which includes additional ammunition for
the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and the Patriot air defense system.
On top of that, Washington is expected to spend $2.1 billion from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds to purchase additional air defense capabilities, as well as artillery and tank ammunition, mortar systems, rockets, and anti-armor systems for Kiev, according to the Pentagon press release.
This was preceded by separate developments in March, when Andrey Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president's office, stressed the need for speedy supplies of additional weapons and ammunition to Ukraine during his phone conversation with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
The US and its allies ramped up their military assistance to Kiev shortly after Russia launched
its special military operation in Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly warned that NATO countries "play with fire" by supplying arms to Kiev, which the Kremlin said adds to prolonging the Ukraine conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, for his part, underscored that any cargo with weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russian forces.