He also reiterated that they needed more artillery to fend off the Russians. This is compounded by a statement by the deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence Vadym Skibitsky, who stated that the invasion was now an “artillery war” and that they were losing “in terms of artillery.”
On the frontline.@AFP's Aris Messinis photographs scenes from an artillery duel between Ukrainian and Russian troops in the city of Lysychansk, eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas pic.twitter.com/ohv2aNi2co
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) June 13, 2022
“Everything now depends on what [the west] gives us,” Skibitsky said. “Ukraine has one artillery piece to 10 to 15 Russian artillery pieces. Our western partners have given us about 10% of what they have.”
“We have almost used up all of our [artillery] ammunition and are now using 155-caliber NATO standard shells,” adding that 5,000 to 6,000 artillery rounds a day were being used in daily fighting.
However, the situation seems to be at a constant oscillation between the Ukrainian and Russian forces in the east, with the Russians advancing to new areas with the Ukrainians then counter-attacking to get their territory back. The prolonged conflict has now taken a toll on the Ukrainian forces, which were largely seen as the highly motivated troops between the two.
Artillery barrages are probably the most demoralizing weapon of war. Personal accounts of soldiers written almost since the invention of the cannon repeatedly say their worst experience on the battlefield is being under the relentless pounding of artillery day and night. Seeing their fellow soldiers getting blown up by artillery fire can have a serious demoralizing effect on the psyche of soldiers which is leading to growing problem of desertion every week for Ukraine’s armed forces.
Ukraine probably has a qualitative advantage over Russia in terms of the type of artillery they use, their method of employment and the quality of the troops operating the guns, but such advantages can be all but wiped out by an enemy with a 10-15 to 1 advantage in guns arrayed against you.
The loss of Mariupol and the soldiers defending the Azovstal Iron and Steelworks Plant being held captive by the Russian forces may have also contributed to the loss of fighting spirit among the Ukrainians. According to intel, Ukraine only has some 550 Russian POWs after exchanges were done with the Kremlin. In comparison, Russia has some 5,600 troops held captive, with 2,500 of those being members of the Azov Regiment and the 36th Marine Brigade. These troops are hailed as heroes in Ukraine, often praised as symbols of Ukrainian willpower to defend one’s country. These soldiers face being tried for trumped-up charges against them, with the Russian government labeling them as neo-Nazis who slaughtered civilians in Donbas.
A few days ago, SOFREP reported that British fighters Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner have been sentenced to death along with Moroccan fighter Saaudun Brahim. Aslin and Pinner, originally from the United Kingdom, have served with the Ukrainian Armed Forces ever since they migrated to Ukraine as they married Ukrainian nationals. Both men were reportedly part of the 36th Marine Brigade. The trial and persecution of these men may have also affected the Ukrainian troops’ morale as more and more war crimes trials are being conducted by both sides.
As a result, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Russia to release the captured Mariupol prisoners as the Russian Government “cannot be trusted,” insinuating that the trials may be shams as western government officials believe. Currently, some 1,000 Mariupol troops have been transferred to mainland Russia for investigation, with the majority of them predicted to undergo war crimes trials.
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