– If we combine these million missiles, the potential purchase of sex, our purchasing power and British [którzy ponoć organizują własną amunicję dla Ukrainy – red.], I dare say we can send 2 to 2.5 million missiles to Ukraine this year. As long as the funding is there, Bevkur said.
– With 2.5 million additional missiles and rockets by the end of the year, Bevkur says the Ukrainians will be able to match Russian ammunition supplies. This is the first time in a year that the Ukrainians have fired as many missiles and rockets as the Russians.
If Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives, keeps his word – after a six-month delay caused by the pro-Russian faction of the Republican Party – he finally brought up a vote on more US aid to Ukraine, Kiev's forces. Artillery superiority could be achieved in the coming months.
Bevkur did not want to specify where Estonia might get the missiles and rockets. – Mainly from non-European countries – he said. – But there are similar ones in Europe too. Unfortunately, I cannot specify this. In many cases, the seller does not want to disclose this.
The missiles include NATO-standard 155-mm rounds, Soviet-standard 152-mm rounds and Grad missiles, which the Estonians are talking about in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, Pevkur said. African countries may also be candidates. The Czech initiative reportedly received ammunition from South Korea, South Africa and Turkey.
Time is of the essence here. Some potential munitions dealers are willing to accept money from Ukraine's allies or Russia. First come first served. “It's a race against time to see who can defend them first,” Pevkur said.
Even if the Estonians fail to buy the full million bullets and rockets, the ammunition they buy will increase the Ukrainians' supply and help solve their biggest problem on the battlefield.
read more: The Russians staged the largest tank attack of the war. They were slaughtered
The Russians realized that the Ukrainians were running out of ammunition
As US aid ceased, Ukrainian artillery batteries dwindled from 6,000. A mere 1,000 missiles per day – Russian batteries consistently fire nearly 6,000 missiles per day. Bullets. Out of ammunition, the Ukrainians mostly saw Russian assault groups, but were unable to attack them.
Lack of ammunition was one of the main reasons why the Ukrainian garrison finally withdrew from Avdiivka after five months of brutal fighting. Entering the ruins of Avtivka, the Russians made their biggest territorial gains in nine months – and took the initiative in the battle.
Realizing that the Ukrainians were running low on ammunition, the Russians continued their attacks west of Avdiivka. But a series of attacks coincided with the start of a Czech artillery effort. Convinced that more missiles were coming, the Ukrainian artillerymen reached for their emergency ammunition reserves – and increased their fire.
“This advance allowed Ukraine to prevent the loss of important defensive positions in the east and to slow down further Russian advances,” Ukrainian analysis group Frontelligence Insight explained. “Despite initial enthusiasm among the Russian population, and the intentions of the Russian command to penetrate deep into Ukrainian defenses after the initial offensive near Avdiivka, Russian forces ultimately failed to capture significant ground.”
If a small increase in Ukrainian artillery could halt the Russian advance, could a larger increase reverse it? In other words, could a few million new missiles help Ukraine turn the tide?
Kiev's forces certainly have other problems. Lack of manpower. No air defense missiles. Delay in repairing damaged equipment.
But the most serious problem was the lack of missiles. Ukraine's allies, after a rocky start, finally seem to be sorting it out.
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