UK and NATO warn of ammunition shortage to provide for Ukraine
The UK and NATO have warned of a shortage of ammunition for Ukraine to defend against Russia's invasion. Adm Rob Bauer of NATO emphasized the urgent need for governments and defense manufacturers to increase ammunition production. UK Defence Minister James Heappey expressed concern about depleting Western military stockpiles.
The UK and
NATO have issued warnings that Western military powers are facing a shortage of ammunition for Ukraine to defend itself against Russia's full-scale invasion, the
BBC reported.
According to BBC, Adm Rob Bauer, NATO's senior military official, cautioned at the Warsaw security forum that they have reached a critical point, as "the bottom of the barrel is now visible" and emphasized the urgent need for governments and defense manufacturers to significantly accelerate ammunition production.
"We need large volumes. The just-in-time, just-enough economy we built together in 30 years in our liberal economies is fine for a lot of things - but not the armed forces when there is a war ongoing," the BBC quoted him as saying.
UK
Defence Minister
James Heappey expressed concern about the depleting Western military stockpiles, describing them as "looking a bit thin."
Swedish Defence Minister
Pol Jonson stressed the importance of Europe preparing its defense industrial base to provide sustained support to Ukraine. He noted, "Because we're digging pretty deep now into our pockets, into our stocks," BBC reported.
"And in the long run, I think it's crucial that Ukrainians also can procure defence material from the industrial base in Europe. We learned some hard lessons here about scale and volume, not at least when it comes to artillery ammunition," he added.
According to the BBC, the UK's defense ministry has reported that since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022, the UK has provided over 300,000 rounds of artillery ammunition to Ukraine. Additionally, they have committed to delivering "tens of thousands more" by the end of the year.