ERR in Ukraine: Frontline troops find west is delaying with its aid
The collective west is unduly holding up on the provision of aid to Ukraine, many of that country's soldiers say, while artillery personnel ERR recently spoke at the front said they lost control of the key city of Avdiivka, in February this year, directly as a result of a shortage of shells.
The German-made and supplied Panzerhaubitze 2000 (pictured) self-propelled artillery systems used by Ukrainian forces can rack up up to 10 rounds per minute, but sourcing shells to meet rates of those kinds has become a significant issue.
One Ukrainian soldier, who gave his name as "Tourist," told ERR: "Last year, we fired 10 shells every two hours."
"There was much more ammunition back then. Up to 200 shells were sent to us in the one night. But that is no longer the case," "Tourist" went on.
These artillerymen were recently fighting near Avdiivka, which Ukrainian forces ultimately had to relinquish early on this year, following the Russian onslaught which started in October 2023.
"Tourist" said: "In Avdiivka, for instance, we had no shells left whatsoever. Ammunition is now starting to arrive in a trickle. Not to the volume we need, but it is something."
Conversely, Russian forces, do not seem to be facing such shortages.
"Bison" told ERR: "They have the significant advantage here. It seems they have unlimited ammunition. They are constantly firing at us, and something is always dropping from the sky."
"In Avdiivka, they were firing on us continuously for five days, without even a five-minute break. That was tough. And now they are doing the same in Chasiv Yar,"another fighter, "Rusty," added.
At present, Ukrainian forces are holding off Russian forces in that sector, also in Donetsk oblast.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff said earlier this week that using Western weapons to strike Russian territory, including oil refineries, could change the course of the war.
Russia is a major producer and exporter of crude oil, making up over 10 percent of the global total, but hitting refineries on its territory would lead to a bottleneck in getting the crude oil converted into its end products.
For its part, Russia has poured scorn on Ukrainian actions in inviting some former Soviet/current CIS countries to a forthcoming peace summit in Switzerland.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
