Outgunned Ukrainian Soldiers Along The Front Carry On Despite Shortages

Ukrainian soldiers from the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade fire a 122 mm mortar toward Russian positions near Bakhmut in Ukraine's Donetsk region on March 3.

Despite conceding territory in the eastern regions, Ukraine's outnumbered and outgunned soldiers are fiercely engaged in combat with the Kremlin's forces, even amid severe ammunition shortages.

 

A Ukrainian soldier reviews ammunition stocks in his trench.

Kyiv's forces were forced to withdraw from the industrial hub city of Avdiyivka last month following what one commander described as a "hellish" battle. The capture of Avdiyivka is the most significant territorial gain for Moscow since it took Bakhmut last May.

Due to delays in the delivery of Western weapons and ammunition, the brigade has been depending on shells that have been produced locally. According to Ukrainian officials, domestic manufacturing of 60, 82, and 120 mm mortar shells increased dramatically in 2023 compared to previous years.

Kyiv has been pleading with its Western allies for more military aid as its forces face the daunting task of defending a nearly 1,200-kilometer front against Russian forces who invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

A Ukrainian soldier with a dumbbell in the trench he calls home.

 

A soldier zeros in on a Russian position before firing a 122 mm mortar.

Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy announced a reshuffling of commanders of several combat brigades during his tour of the eastern part of the front. 

 

A Ukrainian soldier of 80th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade fires a D-30 cannon toward Russian positions near Klishchiyivka.
 
Syrskiy wrote in a Telegram post on March 2, that “some brigades manage to hold back enemy attacks and hold their positions, while others do not.”

 

A Ukrainian soldier makes the victory sign from his trench position near Klishchiyivka.

Kyiv has vowed to retake all the land occupied by Russia, including the Crimean Peninsula, which the Kremlin illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.