Ukraine ran out of artillery shells, Russia took the opportunity to turn the game around

(Dan Tri) – Ukrainian soldiers are running out of ammunition along the front line, while Russia has regained the initiative in the nearly 3-year war.

Ukrainian soldiers opened fire towards Russia in Donetsk (Photo: AFP).

US Assistant Secretary of Defense Celeste Wallander told reporters on January 23 that Ukraine had exhausted the weapons needed to deal with Russia’s military campaign when Washington’s aid source temporarily ended.

During the press conference, Celeste Wallander, who oversees international security affairs for the Pentagon, said that the US had received concerns from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense that some of Kiev’s military units `did not have enough

The US Department of Defense exhausted the money allocated by Congress to aid Ukraine’s war late last month.

The US side’s concerns were raised in the context that Russia is said to have gained the initiative to attack along the front lines in Ukraine in recent days.

According to the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), several sources close to the Kremlin said the Russian army had made progress in the Lugansk region, just south of the city of Kupyansk.

Spokesman of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Volodymyr Fitio, said in an interview on national television on January 23 that Kiev forces had retreated from the village of Krokhmalne, which is located about 28km east of Kupyansk.

`They were ordered to move to previously prepared positions, where they were defending, preventing the enemy from advancing further,` Mr. Fitio said, adding that the withdrawal was a `temporary measure.`

Russia has also made confirmed advances south of Avdiivka, the area that has seen the fiercest fighting in recent months.

Moscow said Russian forces had regained the initiative on many fronts after Ukraine’s unsuccessful counterattack in the middle of last year.

British intelligence believes that Russian forces have increased offensive activities along the entire front line in Ukraine, and this seems to cause Moscow to suffer increased losses in both manpower and weapons.

This agency cited data from the General Staff of Ukraine from January 19 showing that the number of Russian attacks on the front line increased by 27% compared to the previous day.

The British side believes that the frozen ground allows armored vehicles to move more easily, which significantly contributes to Russia increasing its offensive activities.