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Members of the Ukrainian military fire shells from M777 Howitzers at the front line, as the Russian attack on Ukraine continues. Photo/REUTERS
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon believes Ukrainian commanders need to avoid wasting ammunition and change their artillery tactics to only hit the most important targets.
That statement was revealed by the Washington Post columnist, David Ignatius. In an article published on Sunday (27/8/2023), Ignatius claimed, “The US and its allies are growing frustrated with Kiev over their failure to achieve significant results during the much-lauded summer counteroffensive, and have undertaken a review of the lessons learned during the operation.”
One of the important conclusions from Washington’s assessment, according to Ignatius, is that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is unlikely to be resolved this year, as many in Kiev had hoped.
“In contrast, the Pentagon believes the fighting may continue into 2024, and possibly beyond, meaning Washington and its allies should continue to support Kiev forces,” he said.
The Pentagon has reportedly urged Ukrainian commanders to prioritize targets and concentrate their forces on breakthrough points along the Russian-Ukrainian front.
American commanders also worried that Kiev was wasting artillery fire by imitating Soviet-era tactics.
One US estimate cited by Ignatius shows Ukrainian forces have fired around 2 million rounds of 155mm artillery rounds since fighting broke out in February 2022, nearly depleting Western stockpiles.
Earlier this month, the Washington Post also reported that the US was experiencing shortages of raw materials, particularly TNT, as the US tried to replenish its arsenal and continued to supply Ukraine with ammunition.
According to the Washington Post, increasing production of artillery shells to 28,000 per month, according to the current target, will not be enough to satisfy Ukraine’s “hunger for artillery ammunition,” let alone replenish Washington’s depleted stockpile.
Kiev’s choice of tactics during the conflict has been repeatedly questioned by both Ukraine’s supporters in the West and by Russia.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized Zelensky’s commanders and accused them of turning their own troops into cannon fodder.
He called their decision to throw Ukrainian soldiers into a Russian minefield under artillery fire “shocking,” and said Kiev was acting as if the Ukrainian troops weren’t even its citizens.
(she)