Brave Ukrainian soldiers determined to fight till victory despite ammunition shortage

Ukrainian gunners taking a rare break from the combat zone say shortages of ammunition and manpower put them at a disadvantage but will not prevent them from continuing the fight. Servicemen of the 43rd Brigade s artillery unit speaking at their rear base some 20 kms from the unit s frontline position near Bakhmut, said ammunition stocks were running low. The unit operates Panzerhaubitze 2000 selfpropelled howitzers, a mediumrange artillery system that uses 155 mm ammunition. The unit s commander, 29yearold gunner who identified himself with callsign Rys said the unit s stockpile was down to 20 percent from what it used to be. Rys, a professional soldier, has been in charge of the unit since the start of the fullscale invasion. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said last week a shortage of ammunition, which he described as shell hunger, was a big problem for Kyiv s troops nearly two years after Russia s fullscale invasion.