Russia still maintains a considerable advantage in weaponry and equipment, thanks to reserves of Soviet-era arms, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk said in a recent article for Ukrinform.
Havryliuk points out that Ukraine has destroyed more than 10,600 Russian artillery systems since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, but this is less than half of their reserves. He notes that Russia has evaluated the current production capabilities of Ukraine and its allies and is using its advantage in ammunition to maintain the intensity of fire. Since the start of 2024, the advantage in artillery fire along the front line has been 7:1 in favor of the Russian forces.
The Deputy Defense Minister also mentions that Russian combat aviation dominates the sky, with Russian fighters actively using guided aerial bombs against Ukrainian positions. Since the beginning of the year, Russia’s aircraft have dropped over 3,500 aerial bombs, 16 times more than in 2023.
According to Havryliuk, The long-awaited F-16s are expected to break Russia’s dominance in the air war, enhancing Ukraine’s ground capabilities.
“But the current situation is such that we do not yet have F-16s, and stocks of certain types of ammunition are falling to a critical level,” Havryliuk stated.
Havryliuk emphasizes another significant advantage of the Russian troops – their vast human resources. He warns that despite the growing statistics of Russian army losses, they will not stop.
“No doubt, some time after the mock elections in Russia, Putin will drive his new soldiers forward with a new fury. He will order the next forced mobilization, and gather new mercenaries from third countries,” he said.
To counter these advantages, Havryliuk states that the only response is to accelerate the current pace of Russian losses, which requires increasing the firepower of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“Obviously, we cannot compete with the Russians in terms of the number of tanks, artillery pieces, and soldiers. That is why I focus on modern weapons that are more powerful, more accurate than Russian models, and therefore more effective. Long range and accuracy of strikes are key factors,” Havryliuk explained.
Havryliuk concludes that advanced instruments of war are crucial for significant changes on the frontline. Ukraine needs modern air defense systems, aircraft, long-range missiles, and especially 155mm caliber shells. The outcome of the war depends primarily on the Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield and the weapons supplies.
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