Canada’s Chief of Defense Staff points to Russia’s rapid replenishment of ammunition

Russia is replenishing its ammunition stockpile faster than expected, a situation that is alarming, said General Wayne Eyre, Canada’s chief of defense staff.

The Canadian government intends to cut defense spending by $1 billion. writes radio station Radio-Canada. At the same time, according to Eyre, the country faces a shortage of ammunition, equipment and personnel. In particular, as the general pointed out, Canada does not produce enough 155 mm shells, which are in demand in Ukraine. According to him, since April 2022, Canada has supplied Kyiv with 40,000 such ammunition. The country produces about 3,000 such shells per month, but production volumes have not increased since February last year.

This situation is causing concern, including among NATO allies, Wayne said. According to him, if the Canadian army were to spend ammunition at the same rate as Ukraine, then the reserves would be depleted within “a few days.”

“This topic comes up at every NATO meeting I attend. This is increasingly alarming because if we look at the ammunition resupply capabilities in Russia, it is happening at a faster pace than expected,” he said.

In September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada will hand over Ukraine will receive another 35 drones, light military equipment and ammunition as part of the next aid package. The country will also provide assistance in training military personnel and repairing military vehicles. The prime minister also noted that the republic will help Kyiv train pilots to fly F-16 fighters and will provide support in servicing Leopard 2 tanks.

In Russia, after the start of the special operation in Ukraine, they repeatedly spoke about the need to increase the volume of weapons production. In March 2023, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev called for this. In particular, Shoigu ordered to double the production of high-precision weapons, and Medvedev called for increasing the production of ammunition. In August, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated about the need to increase the share of production of the latest weapons, including Lancet drones and T-90 Proryv tanks.