Ukrainian troops fighting in the east of the country are struggling with an acute shortage of ammunition.
President, Volodomyr Zelenskyy, has again urged Western allies to provide more air defence systems as Russian forces continue to make gains.

Kyiv

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

Title: Ukraine's Frontline Soldiers Face Ammunition Shortage Amid Ongoing Conflict

Ukrainian forces positioned in the eastern regions of the country are experiencing severe shortages in ammunition as they combat advancing Russian forces. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has renewed calls for Western allies to supply additional air defense systems to bolster Ukraine's defensive capabilities.

In a recent disclosure, it was revealed that Ukrainian troops are operating under a significant ammunition deficit, with some units near the eastern frontline having access to only a dozen artillery shells. Despite pledges of extensive military support by NATO allies, the delivery of over a million shells promised to Ukraine is not meeting the urgent demand. The imbalance in firepower is stark, with the Ukrainian military reporting a firing rate disparity, favoring Russian forces six to one.

The situation is particularly dire in the vicinity of Chaziv Yar, a small town under siege where Russian military operations have significantly hindered Ukrainian supply routes. The use of drones by both sides has introduced a new dimension to the battlefield dynamics, with up to a hundred drones operating in certain areas, complicating detection and defense measures against attacks.

Medical units operating near Chaziv Yar describe the constant threat of being targeted by artillery or drone strikes, underscoring the perilous conditions under which they provide emergency care to the wounded. The destruction in surrounding areas, such as Konstantinovka, indicates a deliberate strategy by Russian forces to demoralize civilians and disrupt Ukrainian defensive efforts.

As Ukraine prepares to spend $5 billion on domestic weapons production this year, the challenges it faces underline the critical nature of the conflict's current phase. With a significant push expected from Russian forces, Ukraine's need for increased international military support becomes ever more pressing.



Ukraine's frontline soldiers running low on ammunition

This is a French artillery system close to Ukraine's eastern front line. One of thousands of pieces of heavy weaponry supplied by Ukraine's NATO allies since the war began. A soldier shows us their ammunition stock. Just 12 shells left. More than a million shells have been pledged by Ukraine's backers in recent weeks, but they're not getting here fast enough. The Ukrainian military say the rate of fire is at least 6 to 1 in the Russian army's favour. We are trying not to leave our position. Yes, the enemy is advancing, but even with this little amount of shells we are trying to hold. We head towards the besieged small town of Chaziv Yar. Russian forces occupy the eastern outskirts. Russian fighter jets have been targeting Ukrainian forces along the Ukrainian army's supply routes, taking advantage of what Kiev has been saying for months. It's critically short of air defence. We're on our way to a stabilisation point just outside the village of Chaziv Yar. The soldiers tell us that the biggest concern travelling along these very exposed roads is the so-called FPV or first-person vision drones that the Russians and the Ukrainians are using to such devastating, dangerous effect. This video shows the precision of a Russian FPV kamikaze drone attack on an armoured Ukrainian vehicle. Ukrainian military estimate there can be up to a hundred various types of Russian and Ukrainian drones operating at any one time in a given 10-kilometre radius from the eastern front line. The so-called sugar cube used to detect drone sound frequency often can't identify whose is whose. An explosion close by. Vitaly is a medic at one of a number of so-called stabilisation points just outside Chaziv Yar, where injured soldiers get emergency treatment before evacuation across the exposed fields to a hospital in a safe area. One of the biggest dangers is we could be hit by a KAB or artillery at any time. The house nearby is completely destroyed. We are anxious all the time. Around 10 kilometres to the west are the eastern outskirts of Konstantinovka, the next town on the path of the Russian army's slow advance. Russian forces are increasingly targeting the city which had a pre-war population of 67,000, but thousands of people remain. The words are clear on the destroyed railway station wall. This shows us that the enemy wants to capture Konstantinovka in order to move forward. They want to scare the civilians so they're destroying the town. We're doing all we can to stop them. Ukraine will spend $5 billion producing its own weapons this year, including a million A drop in the ocean for what analysts say is Kiev's most critical challenge since its failed counter-offensive last year. To hold ground against Russia's expected attempt at a concentrated summer advance. Chancellor Al-Jazeera near Chaziv Yar, eastern Ukraine.

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Ukraine Invasion