Ukraine narrows firepower disparity with Russia to 1:3 ratio on frontlines
The disparity in fire volume between Ukraine and Russia on the frontline has narrowed to a ratio of 1:3, LIGA.net reports, citing sources in Ukraine’s General Staff.
A source from the General Staff told LIGA.net that, during the summer of 2023, Russians fired between 10,000 to 15,000 rounds per day, compared to 10,000 by Ukrainian troops, achieving what was then termed "relative parity".
However, between August and the end of 2023, the Russian troops ramped up their daily fire to 20,000 rounds, while Ukraine’s figures remained at 10,000.
Early 2024 saw a dramatic increase, with Russian forces firing between 60,000 to 70,000 rounds daily, boosted by cooperation with countries like Iran, noted the source.
By the end of April, Ukraine’s forces were firing around 13,000 rounds per day, with the situation reportedly becoming “easier” by the end of May.
On 26 May, Ivan Havrylyuk, First Deputy Defence Minister of Ukraine, announced that the fire ratio had shifted to approximately 1:5, still favouring the Russians
An improvement in the situation may be attributed to the Czech initiative for procuring ammunition for Ukraine— the first shipment has already arrived in the country.
Euractiv reports, citing unnamed Czech officials, around 500,000 artillery rounds will be delivered to Ukraine under the Czech initiative by the end of 2024.
Approximately 20 countries, including Germany, Canada, the UK, Belgium, Sweden, and Denmark, have joined the Czech initiative to supply artillery shells to Ukraine. By the end of May, Czech Ukrainian Defence Minister confirmed that funding had been provided by only four countries: Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Portugal.