There were simply too few stocks and production sites for Soviet-style artillery shells, and no production line for ammunition for Ukraine’s old Soviet-made multiple launch rocket systems. The “artillery crisis” also forced the West to rethink its arms supplies to Ukraine. Where Ukraine once was self-reliant in the armament sector, it now heavily depends on support from the West. The battle for Kyiv used up much of its stocks, and a concentrated Russian missile campaign had destroyed most of Ukraine’s defence industry.

Ukraine faced severe ammunition shortages.

By May, Russia was engaged in an attrition campaign in Donbas, making use of its superior numbers of artillery and an abundance of ammunition. These helped to arrest and then roll back Russia’s advance on Kyiv. But things are changing – and a new plan from Berlin would win favour either side of the Atlantic.ĭuring the first weeks of the invasion, the West supplied Ukraine with shoulder-mounted anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons in the tens of thousands. So far Western governments have refused to supply Ukraine with Western-designed tanks and infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs). Yet, with dwindling stocks of armoured vehicles, Ukraine’s army has been unable to wage manoeuvre warfare and exploit the holes their artillery is punching in Russia’s occupation force.

Six months since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the defenders have shown mastery of Western-supplied weapon systems.

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