Ukraine's military is running low on ammunition in the fight against Russia, and the Kremlin is using the shortage as an opportunity to probe Kiev's military for weaknesses, a senior Pentagon official said on Tuesday.
U.S. military aid to Ukraine had dried up as of December, a sign that Congress was unable to pass President Biden's request for emergency funding for the warring nation, but Ukrainian officials said “the troops don't have what they need.'' “We don't think we have any stockpiles or stockpiles of ammunition.” Celeste Wallander, the Pentagon's international security official, said:
Biden in October requested about $61.5 billion to help supply Ukraine with weapons and replenish U.S. stocks, but the funding comes as the Pentagon nears the end of funding previously allocated by Congress. It was meant to provide a new surge of support.
But then, with Ukraine's coffers emptied and Congress deadlocked over a new security policy on its southern border, Washington is sending desperately needed and deadly aid to Kiev at the same level it has been for the past two years. Wallander said they have not been able to send them.
“This is one of the reasons why we have focused on the need to answer parliamentary questions so that parliament can move forward with its decision to pass additional legislation,” she added.
The last U.S. arms package for Ukraine was announced nearly a month ago, on Dec. 27, and included $250 million in artillery, air defense, and other weapons and equipment.
Asked whether the lack of a consistent aid package was creating a shortfall in Ukraine, Wallander said officials said this fall that changes in the pace and amount of aid tranches had “impacted planning and operations.” ” was reported.
Wallander pointed out that in addition to ammunition, Ukraine also needs artillery shells and interceptors to defend against Russian drones and missiles.
Furthermore, Russia has taken note of this gap and has increased its missile and drone attacks against Ukraine.
“We want them to not only continue to use ballistic missiles and cruise missiles; [drones]But we've seen periods where they're using those capabilities in a concerted and barrage manner,” Wallander said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kremlin forces fired 41 missiles at Ukrainian cities, according to the Kiev Air Force.
She said the intent of this method is two-fold. It is an attempt to overwhelm Ukraine's defense capabilities in certain locations and an attempt to exhaust the Ukrainians' already limited ammunition and air defenses.
“They have not succeeded so far. Ukrainians have gained a lot of experience over the past two years on how to deal with this type of Russian attack,” she added.
Wallander spoke to reporters after a virtual meeting of the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Liaison Group. The group is made up of Western military and defense chiefs dedicated to supporting Ukraine, and major support measures are typically announced after each meeting. However, it did not materialize this time because Biden's supplementary request was not considered by Congress.
And later on Tuesday, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters that the lack of funding had forced him to “pause” shipments of additional weapons from the inventory “considering the impact on our own military readiness.” He said that he no longer has any income.
“Of course, this makes it impossible to meet the urgent needs of artillery shells, anti-tank weapons, air defense interceptors, etc. on the battlefields of Ukraine,” Ryder said.
Furthermore, the lack of additional funding means that the Department of Defense will not be able to provide Ukraine with the systems and equipment needed for its medium- to long-term requirements, nor will it be able to help sustain systems that the United States already provides. He added that it meant.
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