Russia plans to produce 2.7 million artillery shells in 2024 – Ukrainian intelligence

In 2024, Russia plans to produce 2.7 million artillery shells, said Deputy Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate (DIU) of the Ministry of Defense Vadym Skibitskyi in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency.

In 2023, the Russians produced about 2 million projectiles of 122 and 152 mm calibers.

This year the aggressor wants to produce 2.7 million shells.

"We'll see if these plans will be implemented, because it requires modernization of production, demothballing or creation of new lines," said Skibitskyi.

The intelligence officer stated that the Russian military had already removed all ammunition from Belarus, and North Korea had supplied Moscow with 1.5 million shells of 122 and 152 mm calibers.

"These are ammunition from the 1970s and 1980s, half of them do not work," he concluded.

Every year, Ukraine needs 3.5-4 million ammunition of all calibers for parity and in some cases dominance over the Russian forces, said military observer Oleksandr Kovalenko in a comment to LIGA.net.

On February 21, US President Joe Biden stressed that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, must put the bill to help Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan to a vote. According to the American leader, the document will be approved by the House if it is voted on.

In an interview with Fox News, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that if the US Congress does not approve aid to Ukraine, "more and more Ukrainian heroic lads will be in hospitals."