Russian army's advantage in battlefield shells reduced to 1:3 – Ukrainain Defence Ministry

The Russian army maintains an advantage in artillery shells on the front, but since winter 2024, this has decreased nearly three times.

Source: Ivan Havryliuk, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, on air of the national 24/7 newcast

Quote: "Currently, the ratio of artillery ammunition usage on the battlefield has decreased compared to winter 2024 when the ratio was 1 [Ukraine] to 8 [Russia]. As of today, it stands at 1 [Ukraine] to 3 [Russia]."

Details: Havryliuk emphasised that "Ukraine struggles to compete with Russia in the production of weapons, military equipment, and ammunition due to its larger industrial potential." 

Quote: "Therefore, the support of foreign partners and the effective work of officials are crucial," he stated.

"Our ministries, the government, and the leadership of Ukraine are making significant efforts to establish joint ventures so that, with the help of our partners, we have the capability to produce the entire range of weapons and military equipment that we need."

Background:

• In April 2024, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the ratio of artillery shells was 1 to 10. "Can we hold out like this? No. With such statistics, they will push us back every day," the president said.
• Zelenskyy said that it is necessary to match Russia in the number of shells to defend the territories currently under Ukrainian control.
• The report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) dated 6 June 2024 notes that Western-provided artillery ammunition has begun reaching Ukrainian forces at the front, although not in sufficient quantities to allow Ukrainian troops to fully overcome the current advantage of Russian forces in artillery shells.

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