Russia and Ukraine are using weapons and ammunition at a rate not seen since World War II, forcing NATO allies to search for ways to keep supplying Kyiv while refilling their own arsenals, The New York Times reported on November 26, 2022. The availability of weapons could be decisive in the war, according to the report.
“A day in Ukraine”
NATO forces in Afghanistan might have fired around 300 artillery rounds a day. In the summer fighting in Donbas, Ukraine fired 6,000 to 7,000 rounds a day and Russia 40,000 to 50,000, a senior NATO official said. The United States produces about 15,000 rounds a month. “A day in Ukraine is a month or more in Afghanistan,” said Camille Grand of the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Tapped out
A NATO official said 20 of the alliance’s 30 members were “pretty tapped out,” while about 10, including France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, could still give more. NATO countries have provided around $40 billion in weapons. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said stockpile guidelines should not be used to limit arms exports to Ukraine.
Searching for supplies
Allies are looking for Soviet-era equipment and ammunition, discussing restarting production of Soviet-calibre shells in Central and Eastern Europe and considering older systems as substitutes for scarce modern weapons. Expanding production of 155mm shells could take years, analysts said. Russia, meanwhile, has turned to Iran for drones and is reportedly seeking ammunition from North Korea.
Sources
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