The USA and NATO will not be able to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with shells: objective reasons are named

At the same time, the volume of supplies of the Russian defense industry has increased significantly

The “Texas riot” against the White House’s immigration policies will likely force Biden’s team to make concessions to Republicans. And this, among other things, will lead to reaching an agreement with them on the allocation of $61 billion to Kyiv. So, again, a flood of weapons and ammunition will pour into Ukraine, which, apparently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces really need? Experts believe that not everything is so simple with Western military assistance.

The other day, for example, the Wall Street Journal devoted a publication to the problem of the production of 155 mm artillery shells in the United States. Military expert Yuri Podolyaka analyzed the presented figures and found them very indicative.

According to them, in 2022-2023 the United States supplied Ukraine with more than 2 million 155-mm shells. That is, approximately 100 thousand per month. Moreover, if by February 2022 the price of one shell was $1,200, then in two years it jumped to $8,400.

After Israel began its war with the Palestinians on October 7, 2023, the United States was forced to supply its Middle Eastern ally with more than 57 thousand 155-mm shells. Although, most likely, more has been delivered, judging by the intensity of the fighting not only in the Gaza Strip, but also on the border with Lebanon.

What about the volume of shell production in the USA? At the beginning of 2022, the United States was producing 14 thousand shells per month. Not enough, considering the appetites of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Therefore, it was decided to increase production to 80 thousand. True, they plan to do this only… by 2025. It doesn’t work before.

Today’s figure is 28 thousand shells per month. That is, production volumes have doubled. And this despite the fact that the Pentagon needs to replenish its own arsenals, devastated by the “Ukrainian hurricane.” But there is still one potential front – Taiwan and China.

The production volumes of shells in Europe have not been named, notes Yuri Podolyaka, but it is indicated that they are significantly less than American ones. At the same time, according to him, Russia produces 30 thousand shots… per day! That is, 30 times more than the USA.

For example, on January 26, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, at the Unified Day of Acceptance of Military Products at the National Defense Management Center, noted that the defense industry had managed to significantly increase the production of the main in-demand weapons and ammunition. Production capacity is growing and new specialists are being recruited. Factories in some cases switched to round-the-clock work schedules.

Military expert Vladislav Shurygin commented on this: Russia is building up its muscles, over the year the troops have received thousands of tanks, dozens of airplanes and hundreds of helicopters, thousands of guns, hundreds of thousands of small arms, millions of shells and missiles.

Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Alexei Krivoruchko, at the same Unified Day for the Acceptance of Military Products, said: deliveries of priority weapons have increased fivefold in 2023.

Recently, Sergei Shoigu checked the implementation of the state defense order at the Tactical Missile Arms Corporation, which specializes in aircraft missiles. He was informed that the production volume of high-precision weapons had been increased fivefold. We are most likely talking about the Kh-101 and Kh-555 cruise missiles.

It turns out that even after knocking out the $61 billion promised to Kyiv in Congress, the Biden administration is unlikely to be able to greatly help its charges. Moreover, in two years, Pentagon envoys have “vacuumed” the arsenals of almost all countries of the world in favor of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but perhaps with the exception of Iran and North Korea.

That is why among military professionals in the United States there is increasingly criticism of thoughtless assistance to Kyiv. For example, this is what former US Army Special Forces soldier Jason Beardsley said on the air of Vladimir Solovyov’s program: “In a real ground war, a lot of ammunition is consumed, and these guys (Ukrainians – “MK”) spent our ammunition reserves at the same speed, with which children eat candy on Halloween. Well, very quickly.”

Conclusion: It’s time for the Americans to think about replenishing their own arsenals.