UK DoD Claims Russians Fighting with “Shovels” – Ukraine Losing Bakhmut, Low on Artillery Shells

Update on Russian military operations in Ukraine for March 6, 2023:

– Russian forces continue the encirclement of Bakhmut;

– Western media admits Russian operations around Bakhmut is exhausting Ukrainian forces and may diminish them ahead of an anticipated Ukrainian spring offensive;

– US announces another military assistance package for Ukraine with fewer items listed and absent of any specific quantities despite previous packages featuring such information;

– Ukraine has urgently asked the West for more artillery shells in particular, highlighting the inability for Western industry to match or exceed Russian military industrial output;

– German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall claims to be considering building a tank factory in Ukraine. Older articles claim only if approved by the German government and after the conflict is over, newer articles suggest the factory may be built sooner;

– Ukrainian pilots are in the US to assess their skills for potential training on US warplanes (likely the F-16);

– Training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s or other Western warplanes will admittedly take years, if F-16s arrive in Ukraine beforehand they will likely be Western operators posing as Ukrainian pilots;

References:

Wall Street Journal – Russia’s Wagner Troops Exhaust Ukrainian Forces in Bakhmut (March 5, 2023):
https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/russ…

Donbass Devushka on Telegram:
https://t.me/DonbassDevushka

Alexander Mercouris – Bakhmut Ukraine Retreats; Outnumbered 10-1 Artillery, Kiev Begs Shells, Angry India Criticises US:
   • Bakhmut Ukraine R…  

Voice of America – Russia-Ukraine Fighting Devolves Into Hand-to-Hand Combat (March 5, 2023):
https://www.voanews.com/a/russia-ukra…

US Department of Defense – Biden Administration Announces Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine (March 3, 2023):
https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases…

Financial Times – Ukraine asks EU for 250,000 artillery shells a month (March 4, 2023):
https://www.ft.com/content/75ee9701-a…

Reuters – Rheinmetall in talks on building tank factory in Ukraine – report (March 4, 2023):
https://www.reuters.com/business/aero…

Bloomberg – Rheinmetall in Talks to Supply Ukraine With Panther Battle Tanks (February 2023):
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl…

CNN – US evaluating Ukrainian pilots for possible F-16 training (March 5, 2023):
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/05/wo…

Alex Christoforou – Trump, 24 hours to end conflict. US training 2 Ukraine F16 pilots. After Bakhmut, Chasov Yar. U/1:
   • Trump, 24 hours t…