Russian artillery shell production is outpacing US and European capabilities by a rate of three to one.
According to NATO estimates, Russia is producing artillery munitions at a rate of roughly 250,000 per month, or 3 million a year. Collectively, the US and its European allies only have the capacity to produce roughly 1.2 million artillery munitions per year.
“What we are in now is a production war,” a senior NATO official told CNN. “The outcome in Ukraine depends on how each side is equipped to conduct this war.”
It is a war the West is losing. Although the US military aims to produce 100,000 rounds of artillery a month by the end of 2025, it would still be less than half of Russia’s current output if achieved. Russia is currently firing roughly 10,000 shells a day, compared to the Ukrainian’s 2,000 a day, according to officials.
The news of Russia’s vastly superior production capabilities comes as its forces continue to capitalize on significant victories on the eastern front and push Ukrainian forces westward. While the Ukraine government and its Western supporters appear to want the war to continue no matter the cost, a vast majority of Europeans do not think Ukraine can win. On Saturday, Pope Francis said Ukraine should have the “courage to raise the white flag.”
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