Europe has no trouble with supplying shells to Ukraine - UK defense secretary
The lack of ammunition is not a strategic issue for Western allies of Ukraine.
Ben Wallace, the UK defence minister, stated this on sidelines of Munich security conference to Financial Times on Friday.
According to the report, Kyiv's western allies keep on track with supplying artillery shells and other ammo to Ukraine.
Wallace stressed that, nevertheless, Ukraine might experience some shortage of it. Although, it's a matter of time.
"There's always been a sense of shortage on the front lines, but I don't see any signs of a strategic shortage … although there is some time lag in receiving supplies", the secretary said.
As the defense minister states, the challenge remains for the Ukrainian forces to be accurate in using weapons while continuing the fight with Western strategies.
"Do you need 100 artillery shells to wipe a russian position or only 5? If you are accurate enough, you don't need 100 shells", Wallace stressed.
Western officials believe that the russian federation attempts to obtain weapons and other necessities for its war effort.
They cite the long gaps between its missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and the "active rationing" of russian artillery shells for the front line.
"russia still has significant forces in its disposal," the defence minister said.
However, "we found that when they collect them, they get defeated…They have a hard fight", he added.
Wallace also claimed that the russian army:
- suffers heavy losses in Ukraine,
- doesn't show the signs of tactical "meat grinder" improvement,
- attempts to maintain a sluggish offensive, which "advances, and if it advances, then by meters, not kilometers"
To remind, the UK defence secretary reported that russia is currently using 97% of its army in Ukraine. He believes that russia is advancing on the front at the level of the First World War attrition.
