Kyiv warns ammunition low as allies launch ‘artillery coalition’ • FRANCE 24 English

Joing me now FR 24’s Chief foreign editor Rob Parson hello to you uh Rob um what is the message that the Ukrainian defense minister is giving to his uh his country’s allies well you mentioned there on artillery I think that’s one of the central messages and artillery shells in particular the need for

Artillery shells he said is very real and pressing and the reason for that is that uh Russia has stepped up its production of artillery shells and is out using artillery shells on the front line uh is out using them against uh Ukraine by at least 2 to one at the

Moment for instance if Russia on average is spending across that 1,000 kilometer front line something like 15,000 shells a day at its most uh Ukraine can get between 5,000 and 8,000 shells a day in other in other words uh Russia is using more than two two times as many shells a

Day and that is putting Ukraine under immense pressure that’s one of the reason reasons why Russia’s been able to go on the offensive again along that front line whereas in the summer when Ukraine was probably at least achieving parity in production of artillery shells and use of artillery shells it was

Ukraine that was on on the offensive European Union has said it will provide Ukraine with 1 million shells by the spring by the end of last year it produced just 300,000 apparently now here we are at the end end of January that’s about 480,000 shells have being

To Ukraine it’s not enough uh that’s still 500,000 that need to produce by the springtime even that will not be enough uh so that that’s why it’s so urgent for the ukrainians and in particular uh they need the 155 millimet shells that are used uh with Western modern artillery systems not the old

Soviet style ones so those are the priorities that that he he the the defense minister Mr was stressing in that meeting yesterday and there is talk of uh Ukraine fatigue uh in the west um offering this support very expensive for governments what are Ukraine’s allies doing uh to try and help well you’re

Right you know as we all know there’s a $60 billion uh program for arm spending held up in Congress at the moment the European Union a 50 billion Financial package being held up by Hungary at the moment uh if those were to go through would’ certainly change the picture for

Ukraine the European Union is doing its B is it’s passed a a legislation for an act in support of ammunition program ASAP which is to provide 500 million euros uh worth of shells to uh Ukraine on a regular annual basis uh but the problem is you know they they’re up

Against Russia which is really ramping up its own production uh by 68% uh in the in the coming year that’ll make Russian military spending something like 6.8% of uh GDP that’s a really tall order for the European Union what we heard at that meeting on Thursday is

That in this particular uh group um the artillery Coalition which is led by France and the United States set up to try and coordinate the effort to provide Ukraine with the artillery and the artillery shells and so on that we’ve just been talking about uh they this

Year uh under FR French leadership aim to provide uh Ukraine with 78 har systems the SE har the system which has proven to be extremely effective in Ukraine very versatile very agile very accurate and able to get away from its firing position very quickly which makes

It hard to to to hit if you’re a Russian artill man firing back um 78 of those over the course of the year six of those to be bought by Ukraine itself 12 to be provided with French spending and the remaining 60 by other members of that Coalition I’ve just been talking about

It’s practical help of the kind that Ukraine desperately needs at the moment all right thank you Rob Rob Parson our chief foreign editor

Ukraine’s defence minister warned Thursday that the country faced a “very real and pressing” ammunition shortage in its grinding near-two-year battle against Russia, as Western allies met in Paris to agree new artillery supplies. FRANCE 24’s Chief Foreign Editor Rob Parsons tells us more.
#Ukraine #Russia #ammunition

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33 comments

  1. West support is a joke. It's more about money than actually trying to end the war. Like if all countries helping Ukraine could not produce many times more equipment and ammunition than Russia if there was a will. It's just sad that politicians are not taking the decision needed and after Ukraine is lost Moldova and the Baltic nations are next.

  3. Nobody has provided me with a compelling explanation why it is in our national interest to be providing such a corrupt nation as Ukraine with any aid at all. Indeed it appears to me to be an act of economic self harm for the European continent, the only ones to benefit are the hydrocarbon suppliers who’ve been able to inflate consumer prices.

  4. It's a deal bathed in blood, Palestine to Israel, and Ukraine to Russia. Remember 45 minutes Putin-Natanyahu talk? Ever came a press note on that?

  7. Fake news. Military leaders never reveal critical intelligence data such as munitions, infantry counts, tank, helicopter, artillery piece inventory…
    This is Zelenskyy's puppet France 24 passing the hat to finance his constant jet setting as he flies first class with his entourage of party boys, lavish Washington DC, Brussells, Berlin and London hotels and limousines— huge restaurant bills…
    Party party party. Doesn't Ukrainians ever ask themselves about where he's getting all this money to be a champagne guzzler while they suffer? He's always crying poor but spends on non war luxuries.

  9. The British chap knows that for Russia to even dare dream going on an offensive, at that a winter offensive—it has to have no less than 3:1 advantage across all aspects of the front-line in contest. From what we have so far seen of the Russians, they are by no means minimalists and often over do everything….

  14. Now, that sounds familiar. Anyone still remember the so called fighter jet coalition? The west only delivered old soviet leftovers from former soviet countries, promised to train Ukrainian pilots & delivered ZERO F16s. Yeah, what cld go wrong?

  15. More accurate number Russia 10k shells a day, Ukraine 2k shells a day. Ukraine has a greater range so counter battery from the Russians requires drones. Russia has started fielding longer range artillery to engage more effectively in counter battery fire. Russia produces more shells that the entire west can produce, the west has outsourced heavy manufacturing Russia has not.

  19. As an American, Europe needs to step up. American tax payers have been subsidizing your security for too long. Europe has gotten too comfortable and been taking advantage of America. We have our own financial issues and can't be the world's piggy bank. Trump warned NATO allies about not spending enough on their defense and he was mocked. Sad to say he was right.

  20. UASS:- no problem we already growing arm ammunition…. Ucrane:) thanks boss…. UASS:- no worries already German farmers growing arms ammunition instead of potatoes…

  23. they have enough shells …they are shouting like the boy who cried wolf……….they are probably selling them on black market if they really have a shortage ..

  24. Expanding + Creating + Prolonging Military NATO war , Just processing rob + steal happiness + money of taxpayers to all weapons companies ,, Left suffering for Humankind,,, “ The Truth “

  25. Ukraine war is a lost case. The country is bankrupt and on life support from donation and no soldiers left. It is better to push for peace negotiation instead of wasting money.

  26. The settlement of Vesele has fallen to the Russians. But Ukraine is lucky because Russian's army is poorly led poorly trained, poorly fed, poorly equipped, lacks morale and uses prison conscripts

  28. As I know, and this is very common in Germany, Ukraine can use only 2000 shells per day compared with Russia, that is able to use 10k per day without running low. It is much more dramatic as described. Europe has to ramp up its production immediately! I really don´t know what western politician are waiting for.
    And I really don´t understand why not buying shells from foreign countries to fill the gap meanwhile ramping up the own production to support Ukraine…
    France, Germany, … should take the announcements from the Baltics and Ukraine much more seriously even to avoid further crisis.

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