An American newspaper, citing a senior NATO official, reported that Ukrainian military leaders are concerned about the potential depletion of ammunition supplies among the Ukrainian armed forces. The report indicates that the Ukrainian military has already begun to limit the use of its ammunition on the front lines, forcing Kyiv’s forces’ leaders to make difficult decisions.
Furthermore, the Ukrainian armed forces claim that Russian artillery significantly outnumbers its Ukrainian counterpart on the front lines. On February 17th, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu informed President Vladimir Putin that the Russian “Center” group forces had completely taken control of the city of Avdiivka after battles led to the withdrawal of the Ukrainian armed forces from the city. The ministry stated that the complete control over Avdiivka, a stronghold of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Donetsk People’s Republic, was achieved under the command of General Andrey Mordvichev.
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu also stated that the Russian armed forces managed to liberate Avdiivka with minimal losses and continued offensive operations towards the west, liberating an area of 72 square kilometers. Shoigu added that the operation to liberate the city would be included in the defense ministry’s textbooks and remarked that the longer the fighting in Ukraine lasts, the stronger and better-equipped the Russian army becomes.
