"Just don't count on the Americans": Forbes openly accused the United States of betraying Ukraine

The artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is currently experiencing a severe shortage of shells. While in the summer of 2023 it was a question of equality or even superiority of Ukrainian artillery over Russian artillery, now it's the other way around - as of today, the troops of the aggressor country, Russia, have a fivefold advantage. While Ukrainian batteries are currently firing about 2,000 shells a day, Russian batteries are firing 10,000.

This is stated in a Forbes article by David Axe. He reminded that US aid to Ukraine ended at the end of December last year. Meanwhile, Republicans in the U.S. Congress refuse to support President Joe Biden's request for funding for our country.

"Ukraine's artillery batteries were the first to feel this betrayal," Aks writes.

The consequence is that Russian artillerymen are now becoming increasingly bold. They are not worried about the risk of Ukrainian artillery opening fire on them, and are concentrating their biggest guns and launchers to devastatingly hit Ukrainian positions in frontline cities.

"A year ago, the Russians probably would not have dared to concentrate so many heavy weapons in the open in such a small area, so close to the front line. Ukraine's M777 and HIMARS howitzers, which have a range of 24 and 90 kilometers, respectively, could have put the Russians into oblivion," the article says.

With ammunition being scarce, the Ukrainian military is saving what shells and missiles it has for emergencies, in particular, to strike at Russian troops and their equipment when they try to break through the defense and capture Ukrainian positions.

"Unfortunately, this situation gives Russia the opportunity to apply a well-known approach. This is the systematic destruction of the territories of settlements, which makes them unprotected," Frontelligence Insight analysts say.

In particular, such a situation occurred in Mariinka, Donetsk region, where the Ukrainian military held the line for almost two years of full-scale war. However, when the shelling started, Russian artillery systematically destroyed the entire city. Our defenders had to withdraw because they could not continue to defend themselves among the ruins, and the occupiers announced the "liberation" of Mariinka and presented it as a victory.

Closer to the front line, Ukrainian units are compensating for the lack of ammunition with FPV drones that drop explosives on the occupiers who are trying to attack our positions. The Ukrainian Defense Forces use tens of thousands of such UAVs per month. However, for the most part, FPV drones have a range of about 3 km, while Russian artillery is usually out of their reach - at a distance of 15 to 24 km from the front line.

David Axe emphasizes that GLSDB bombs, which are already on their way to the front, could reduce Russia's firepower advantage. However, it is not yet known how many of these bombs will be received by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and how they can be used at the front.

"The most reliable way for Ukraine to restore artillery parity and prevent the destruction of new cities is the most obvious. Somehow we need to buy more shells and missiles for howitzers and launchers. Just don't count on the Americans. Although Biden has broad authority to donate surplus U.S. weapons without prior congressional approval, it is unclear whether this authority extends to ammunition," the article says.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, Ukraine is suffering from a shortage of ammunition, which prevents it from conducting an effective counter-battery fight. If the situation does not change, and partners do not help the Ukrainian army to eliminate the deficit, the military command may have to make difficult decisions, ISW believes.

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