FT: US seeks to increase supplies of munitions to Ukraine to support counter-offensive
US President Joe Biden’s administration is seeking to increase supplies of “critical” ammunition to Kiev to support the Ukrainian counter-offensive, particularly 155-millimetre shells, the Financial Times newspaper quoted officials as saying.
“The effort is aimed at supplying 155-millimetre calibre shells used in howitzers that Ukraine is deploying along the front line,” the publication writes, citing officials.
According to the Financial Times, this refers both to ammunition deliveries from international partners in the short term and Washington’s plans to ramp up its own production in the next two years.
Officials said the Biden administration had known for months that Ukraine would begin to run into supply problems because of the high rate of ammunition use, and stepped up efforts to get shells to the front lines when the conflict “entered a decisive phase.”
US President Joe Biden announced on 7 July the decision to start supplying the Kiev regime with cluster munitions. US presidential national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that Washington considers the supply of cluster munitions to Kiev as a temporary measure until the US increases the production of artillery ammunition in sufficient quantities, which could take months. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasised that such deliveries put civilians at risk and are aimed at prolonging the crisis.
According to an unnamed US official quoted by the website, the decision to transfer cluster munitions to Kiev “helped provide Ukraine with the necessary ammunition and prevent it from running out”.
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