Zelensky: Russia fires 10 times more shells, uses 300 aircraft in Ukraine only
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Russia is firing shells at a ratio of around 10:1 to those of Ukraine and has 30 times more aircraft, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with PBS NewsHour published on April 16.
Ukraine faces an ongoing ammunition shortage, with the country being in dire need of shells and missiles.
Delays in U.S. assistance to Ukraine have already had a direct impact on the battlefield, contributing to the loss of the key front-line city of Avdiivka. Amid the escalating situation on the eastern front, Zelensky said that "Ukraine will lose the war" if the U.S. Congress fails to approve military aid.
As Moscow intensified its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure during the spring, the shortage of air defense systems in Ukrainian cities and villages is being felt more acutely.
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Zelensky reiterated that without U.S. help, Ukraine "would have no chance of winning" in the war.
"You have to be much stronger than your enemy, that's what I am talking about. Today, (a ratio of) artillery shells is 1 to 10. Can we stand with this? No, we cannot. (Ratio of) aircraft is 1 to 30. How can we fight?" the president said.
"We do not ask for any special weapons. No one asks for 500 or 300 planes. By the way, Russia uses 300 planes only on Ukraine's territory,"Zelensky added.
Kyiv needs to catch up with Russia in the number of shells, reaching a ratio of 10:10 to fully protect the territory currently controlled by Ukraine, according to Zelensky.
Moscow was firing shells at a ratio of around 7:1 to those of Ukraine, Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk said in mid-March
Russia is producing close to 250,000 artillery munitions monthly, or around 3 million per year, which is nearly three times as many artillery munitions as the U.S. and Europe can send to Ukraine, CNN reported in March, citing NATO intelligence estimates and unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
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