With their munitions supplies rapidly dwindling, Ukrainian soldiers fought desperately Saturday to hold on to territory in the northeastern region of Kharkiv as Russian soldiers continued to close in on the country’s second-largest city.
As Ukraine awaits delivery of billions in U.S. weapons and ammunition, its troops are using what ammo they do have sparingly, even as Russia steps up its onslaught in the border region.
In the recent past, Ukrainian gun commander Oleksandr Kozachenko said his unit’s U.S.-supplied M777 howitzer would fire 100 shells per day at the advancing enemy.
These days, though, he’s lucky to have 10 shells as his disposal.
“It’s a luxury if we can fire 30 shells,” he said.
Last month, the U.S. Congress approved a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine, but the weapons and ammunition are yet to be delivered.
As the U.S. tries to expedite the delivery of supplies to the battlefront, new conscription laws went into affect in Ukraine Saturday, as a way to bolster its forces.
The laws will make it easier to identify able-bodied fighters across Ukraine and find citizens dodging service and lower the age for the draft to 25 from 27. They also provide financial incentives for signing up and fighting, including cash bonuses or money for a house or car.
Taking a page from Russia’s strategy to bolster its battered forces, the new laws also allow for incarcerated prisoners to sign up for the war.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview he expects Moscow will escalate its offensive in the northeast, and noted the country has only 25 percent of the air defenses it needs to stave off the Russian onslaught.
It also needs “120 to 130” F-16 fighter jets and other aircraft to reach air parity with Russia, he said.
Zelensky said Russian troops advanced between 3 to 6 miles along the northeastern border before being stopped by Ukrainian fighters.
He expects further incursions into the region by the Russians.
“I won’t say it’s a great success [for Russia] but we have to be sober and understand that they are going deeper into our territory,” he said. “The West wants the war to end. Period. As soon as possible. And, for them, this is a fair peace. We are in a nonsense situation where the West is afraid that Russia will lose the war. And it does not want Ukraine to lose it.”