KRAMATORSK, Ukraine -- One morning in February, an artillery unit of Ukraine's 56th Motorized Infantry Brigade was ordered to cover soldiers at the front and fire at a Russian mine-launching system. The unit, however, fired just twice due to the need to economize on artillery shells.
With a 150-millimeter artillery gun made in the former Soviet Union, the unit is positioned in the muddy forest area near Bakhmut, an eastern city seized by Russian forces last year. When supplies were better, they were able to fire off 400 shells a week, but now have to limit firing to an average of 15 shells a week, according to the unit's field commander, Oleksandr. "Without shells, we are useless," he said without concealing his irritation.
