Russia Running Out Of Ammo, The Economist Suggests

Judging by the undisciplined artillery and missile fire that Russia does every day, and the reported inability of its munitions factories to produce the ordnance needed by President Vladimir Putin’s troops to sustain its barrage of artillery fire in Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, US, British and French officials now claim that Russia’s military is low on ammunition, The Economist reported recently.

Photo Insert: Abandoned Russian ammunition in Chernihiv Oblast

Ukrainian forces explained that sanctions have prevented Russia from securing the raw materials needed to produce artillery rounds, which explains reports about Moscow seeking munitions from Pyongyang.

China has not provided Putin with millions of artillery rounds despite a pledge to support Russia to the hilt.

Military analysts noted that Russia had dug up its ancient stockpile, and some of the shells that have landed in Ukraine are older than the conscripts sent to the Bakhmut meatgrinder.

“So let me tell Putin tonight what his own generals and ministers are probably too afraid to say,” declared Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Britain’s chief of defense staff, on December 14: “Russia faces a critical shortage of artillery munitions.” Ten days earlier Avril Haines, America’s top intelligence official, had offered a similar judgment. Is Russia running out of shells?

Western officials have been talking up Russia’s ammo crunch for months. In September, they said that Russia had turned to North Korea for replenishment. In November Lloyd Austin, America’s defense secretary, spoke of “significant shortages.”

At a briefing on December 12, a senior American defense official said that, at current rates of use, Russia could sustain “fully serviceable” tube and rocket artillery ammunition only until early 2023.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is receiving Franco-Swedish tank rounds with each shell carrying two separate explosives programmed to hit two armored targets.

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