According to the Russian Defense Ministry, in the past 24 hours, Russia has destroyed Ukrainian weapons depots in the Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
In the past 24 hours, the Russian military has wiped out Ukraine’s ammunition depots in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in Eastern Ukraine (Donbass), destroyed many combat vehicles of Kiev, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov said on April 8.
“A total of three Ukrainian artillery and missile depots in the Konstantinovka, Donetsk, Berislav, Kherson, Orekhov and Zaporizhzhia regions were destroyed” , General Konashenkov announced.
According to a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, the Russian missile, air and artillery forces attacked 92 enemy artillery units and combat vehicles in 114 areas.
Relying on Western artillery aid left the Ukrainian army facing serious ammunition shortages. (Photo: Anadolu Agency)
In the past 24 hours, Russian air defense also intercepted 7 rockets and 7 drones of Ukraine.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, since the conflict broke out, Ukraine has lost 406 combat aircraft, 228 helicopters, 3,702 UAVs, 415 air defense systems, 1,078 multiple launch rocket systems, 4,532 field artillery and mortar along with 9,342 special military vehicles.
The Washington Post, citing a separate source, revealed that the Ukrainian military is facing a serious ammunition shortage and is forced to limit the use of ammunition or use faulty ammunition.
According to the Washington Post’s source, the Ukrainian military now has to be more selective in choosing targets, often prioritizing vehicles rather than small groups of infantry.
Currently Ukraine is firing about 7,700 shells per day, that is, 1 shell is fired every 6 seconds. According to some estimates, the number of shells Russia fires per day is three times higher than that of Ukraine.
The article also said that shells for Ukraine’s Soviet-made artillery pieces, which make up the majority of their arsenal, have long been in short supply and the Kiev government has had to rely on Western shells. However, Kiev faces another problem: it has a lot of NATO-style artillery but lacks ammunition.
The Washington Post estimates that, at the current rate of Ukraine’s use, these ammunition stocks could soon be exhausted as the West is struggling to increase production of additional shells.
According to the article, many countries with Soviet-era artillery stockpiles are still hesitant to supply Ukraine because of their relationship with Russia.
“Some countries that used to be part of the Warsaw Pact have the capacity to produce this type of artillery shell, but not at the scale and speed Ukraine needs on the battlefield” , the Washington Post said.
