Russia artillery and mortars are outgunning Ukraine at a rate of six to one on the front line, Ukraine’s recently appointed commander in chief Oleksandr Syrsky said, as the country calls on its Western allies to send more aid.
Syrsky said the situation at the front was “difficult” because Russia was continuing with offensive operations, and they outnumbered Ukraine in terms of personnel and ammunition.
“Until a few days ago, the enemy’s advantage in terms of ammunition fired was about six to one,” Syrsky told Ukrinform.
However, he added that “we learned to fight not by the amount of ammunition, but by the skill of using the weapons that are available.”
He said that, in particular, Ukraine has been using high-precision ammunition to strike Russian positions from long distances and drones to attack ships in the Black Sea.
“Recently, the number of positions we regained exceeds the number of lost positions. The enemy did not manage to advance significantly in strategic directions, his territorial gains, if any, are of tactical importance,” said Syrsky.
He said that Ukraine hoped to receive more air defense equipment and missiles from its allies, particularly as Russia has stepped up its airstrikes across the country.
“We are trying to find some way not to retreat”
Larin Dmytro/Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told The Washington Post on Friday that if Congress did not approve more aid soon, Ukraine’s forces would have to start retreating.
“It means we will go back, retreat, step by step, in small steps,” he said. “We are trying to find some way not to retreat.”
Syrsky said that the Ukrainian military has begun rotating military units on the front line in order to restore combat capability and allow soldiers to rest and recover.
“It should be taken into account that people are not robots. They are exhausted physically and psychologically, especially in the conditions of hostilities,” he said.
Syrsky took over as commander in chief in February after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky removed Valery Zaluzhny from the top position.
