- Russia artillery advantage in the Ukraine war is set to double soon, a top US general said.
- Ukraine's critical supply of artillery ammo is dwindling.
- Ukraine's defense and economy are at risk without further aid from the US.
US European Command's Gen. Chris Cavoli says Russia's artillery advantage over Ukraine will double within weeks as the latter's supply shortages persist.
"We're not talking about months, we're not talking hypothetically," Cavoli said during a House Armed Services Committee Hearing on Wednesday, adding that "the biggest killer on the battlefield is artillery in most conflicts, but in this one, definitely."
Russia's military is currently firing five times as many shells as Ukraine is. In a matter of weeks, the ratio could shift to 10:1, Cavoli said. Ukraine had the artillery advantage last summer, but now it is firing about 2,000 shells while Russia hammers its positions with 10,000 shells each day. The impact of the shortages has been palpable.
"Ukrainians have been husbanding their shells in anticipation of the supply running out," Cavoli said. "The situation is extremely serious."
The top US general in Europe said that American contributions of artillery systems, ammunition, and air defense interceptors are extremely critical for Ukrainian defense, but right now, Ukraine is running short on both of these.
Celeste Wallander, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, said during the congressional hearing Wednesday that the Ukrainians "are having to decide what to defend and that's why the Russian attacks are getting through and really harming the Ukrainian electricity grid."
Lately, Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian cities, Kharkiv in particular. The city has been hit by missiles, one-way attack drones, and glide bombs to devastating effect.
Cavoli said that Russia's large scale aerial attacks are capable of destroying Ukraine's economy if Ukraine can't defend itself with the help of US security assistance, roughly $60 billion of which has been held up in Congress for months now and is currently awaiting approval in the House.
Ukraine's military has been heavily reliant on drones as alternatives to artillery shells. A NATO official told Foreign Policy this week that the country's drones are behind over two-thirds of the kills of Russian tanks.
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the unmanned systems are no substitute for the weapons that Ukraine really needs, like artillery, air defenses, and long-range missiles.
"It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war," Zelenskyy said last Sunday.