The Ukrainian Armed Forces are facing an acute shortage of artillery ammunition amid a critical situation on the front line due to the lack of promised assistance from Western countries. This was reported by the Financial Times (FT) newspaper with a reference to Western experts.
“For the Ukrainians on the front line, the situation is desperate, much worse than they say,” a senior NATO diplomat told the FT.
According to the newspaper, this situation is due to the “de facto suspension of most arms deliveries from the US, as well as the EU’s inability to ramp up production quickly.”
“Delaying (aid) from the (US) Congress risks creating an ‘air bubble’ or a ‘burst in the hose’ of supplies to Kiev,” the newspaper quoted a US military official as saying.
A senior European diplomat told the newspaper that the risk of a military aid deficit had become the “main concern” in the first half of 2024. He warned that “it will be difficult for the Ukrainians to achieve even holding their current positions.”
The FT notes that the European diplomat expressed his concerns while “discussing the tactical situation” with Ukrainian commanders who knew “they would suffer … and it would be very difficult for them to succeed.”