EASTERN UKRAINE—Explosions blasted in the backdrop as soldiers from the Ukrainian 10th Mountain Assault brigade prepared a drone for takeoff. The unit was in a shielded position two kilometers from the front line, north of the Russian-controlled Soledar in Eastern Ukraine.
The Daily Beast was with the drone unit last month—hidden among trees with a dugout for cover last —as the Russian army returned fire. Drone units are the eyes of the Ukrainian army, and their work is crucial in identifying Russian military equipment, such as tanks and artillery.
Soon after the drone unit had arrived, a Ukrainian position nearby was repeatedly hit by Russians forces. The drone was sent up to locate the source, and a Russian anti-tank gun was soon discovered near some trees. Petro, a corporal in the Ukrainian army and leader of the drone unit, called it in. A Ukrainian artillery unit responded, but only with one shot.
Petro told The Daily Beast it takes about six artillery shells to eliminate a target, but ammunition shortages forced them to use a single shot—just enough to scare the Russian anti-tank gun into backing away.
“A grenade can be sent to scare, and then they [Russia forces] don’t work for an hour or two,” said Petro. “It is obvious that we need more ammunition. The Russians also have ammunition problems but generally have a lot of equipment. We do our best to respond.”
A big problem
Ukrainian soldiers often describe the war as an artillery duel. Cities along the front line are getting pounded day and night, especially key cities like Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Ammunition shortages are now being reported all along the frontl ines.
“You’re on the front line. They’re coming toward you, and there’s nothing to shoot with,” a battalion commander in the 46th Air Assault Brigade told The Washington Post last month. Ukrainian soldiers defending the encircled city of Bakhmut have also reported shortages to local outlets. “We need ammo, ammo, ammo,” Illia, a mortarman with the 3017th unit of Ukraine National Guard, told the Kyiv Independent recently, adding that they often only get 10 shells a day, enough for a minute's work.A soldier with the Ukrainian 3rd Separate Assault Brigade in Eastern Ukraine, who spoke with The Daily Beast on the condition of anonymity, shared similar stories. He added that despite difficulties, his men continue to fight, inflicting high casualties on the advancing Russian army. The West, meanwhile, is desperately trying to increase production for Ukraine. On March 20, the EU agreed to increase output and send one million ammunition rounds to Ukraine within 12 months. “We have to admit that a million shells are a minimum of what Ukraine needs—but this is still far from what Ukraine needs to make a difference on the ground and support their offensive,” Estonia’s Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said about the deal.