Ukrainian forces on the frontline say the war is entering a critical phase – and they are desperate for more ammunition as they struggle to hold off relentless Russian attacks. 

Colonel Pavlo Palisa, whose 93rd Mechanised Brigade is fighting near the key strategic city of Chasiv Yar, said he believed Russia was preparing a major push to break Ukrainian lines in the east.

“Without a doubt, this will be a difficult period for the armed forces,” he said. 

“I would say that it is unlikely that time is on our side, since a long war requires more resources,” he said, adding that it would be critical to impose as heavy a cost on Russia as quickly as possible.

“The enemy’s resources, whether in terms of manpower or the material, cannot be compared with ours. It’s extraordinarily large.” 

Ukrainian gun commander Oleksandr Kozachenko said his unit’s US-supplied M777 howitzer, which once hurled 100 shells a day at the enemy, is now often reduced to fewer than 10. 

“It’s a luxury if we can fire 30 shells.” 

Gunners with his brigade in the Donetsk region said they were desperate for more 155mm rounds for their Western cannons, which had given them an edge over Russia earlier in the war.

The United States says it’s rushing ammunition and weapons to Ukraine following the delayed approval of a $61bn aid package by Congress last month. 

For the soldiers facing down an encroaching enemy, the deliveries can’t come soon enough.