Supplies of shells to Ukraine drop by 30% after Israel's war in Gaza

US shipments of NATO-standard artillery shells to Ukraine have dropped by "more than 30%" since Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip began last month.

This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to ABC News.

As noted in the publication, 155-mm artillery shells may be the most important ammunition for Ukraine in the fight against Russian troops, and part of the US stockpile intended for Ukraine has been redirected to Israel.

U.S. officials have stated several times in recent weeks that the supply of ammunition to Israel will not affect the war in Ukraine.

"They (U.S. officials) told us it wouldn't affect (U.S.) commitments, but it did," said an anonymous Ukrainian official.

The official said that the stockpile of these vital artillery shells is "about 60-70% of the total supply."

However, a senior U.S. Department of Defense official said the munitions reduction "has nothing to do with what's going on in the Gaza Strip." Presidential stockpile reduction authorization packages "start being put together weeks in advance, so there's no connection between what's happening in Gaza and what's happening in Ukraine," the official said.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 21/11/2023