Russian soldiers will burn out their artillery barrels and tank main guns by the end of the year due to the Ukraine war.
Russian Armed Forces already facing wear and tear on their guns due to the high intensity of the fighting in Ukraine, most of which were manufactured back in the last century.
Russian military bloggers are posting images of dozens of damaged combat vehicles with exploded gun barrels. They also are passing on Russian troops’ complaints that soldiers have problems with the survivability of artillery and tank guns.
Artillery barrels and tank main guns have a limited lifespan—they start becoming markedly less effective after firing a certain number of rounds and need to be replaced.
According to the Russian independent news outlet The Insider, Russian tank barrels have a service life from 210 rounds of armor-piercing sub-caliber rounds to 840 rounds of high explosive and shaped charge rounds. At the same time, rifled artillery barrels, depending on caliber, projectile type and range, have a life of up to 2,000-3,000 rounds.
Ukrainian officials said Russian forces is emphasizes the massed firepower doctrine and is firing more than 50,000 shells per day.
According to the newspaper, the Russian military’s supply of artillery shells and armored vehicles available will be entirely exhausted by the end of the year due to the Ukraine war.
Russia has an unknown, but not an infinite, number of barrels in reserve (especially on guns from storage depots), by the end of 2022 wear and tear of artillery will lead to a drastic reduction in its effectiveness, according to The Insider report.
Given the probable weakness in Russian manufacturing, every artillery piece or gun that wears out or is destroyed is one the Russians cannot replace.