Military officials in the U.S. and Ukraine are reporting that Russian artillery fire has dropped by roughly 75% from its high use in this past year. The decrease in the rate of artillery fire could be a sign that the Russian invaders are conserving artillery rounds for later, or that there is a supply problem forcing rationing:
"Either way, the striking decline in artillery fire is further evidence of Russia’s increasingly weak position on the battlefield nearly a year into its invasion, US and Ukrainian officials told CNN. It also comes as Ukraine is enjoying increased military support from its western allies, with the US and Germany announcing last week that they will be providing Ukrainian forces for the first time with armored fighting vehicles, as well as another Patriot Defense missile battery that will help protect its skies."
The U.S., Germany and UK are also debating the provision of battle tanks like the Abrams M-1, the Leopard and the Challenger II respectively to Ukraine's military to fight along with the armored fighting vehicles like the U.S.'s Bradley. Heavy battle tanks would be a major assist in pushing Russian ground forces out of Ukraine, but require significant amounts of fuel and training to operate and maintain. Poland is discussing providing some of its Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
Western fears of appearing to "escalate" the war by providing heavy armor seem misplaced in view of Russia's unilateral escalation in attacking Ukraine's power infrastructure, water supplies and civilian targets, all war crimes committed in full view. Time is short to get tanks into the pipeline before spring, while Russia is struggling to maintain its position on the battlefield while viciously attacking civilian targets.
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