Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov delivered a speech via video link at the opening of the Coalition of Artillery in Paris.
"We are facing up to a difficult enemy. Russia has a developed industrial base. You are well aware that artillery is one of the main weapons of its firepower. The Russian defence industry enables its troops to fire tens of thousands of shells at Ukrainian positions. As the situation on the battlefield shows, there is no substitute for modern artillery," Umerov said.
He added that efforts to improve technological superiority, scale up ammunition production and improve artillery capabilities should be continued. He also noted that it is necessary to strengthen artillery capabilities to win the war.
"Strengthening artillery capabilities is one of our key needs to win this war. It is extremely important that we invest our resources in the production of more artillery ammunition," the minister added.
According to him, Ukraine is taking steps to maximise domestic production, as the enemy has been preparing for a large-scale war for years. He also noted that the Kremlin's military spending is setting new records, as Russian plans will not stop in Ukraine. But despite this, Ukrainian capabilities have also increased.
"We have results that confirm this. Ukraine has destroyed 20% of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. We have destroyed Russia's control over the sea and airspace," the official said.
He recalled that Ukraine managed to defend itself against more than 7,400 missiles of various types and more than 3,800 Shaheds. He also mentioned five downed Russian planes in a week and an A-50 radar aircraft. However, on the battlefield, Russia has advantages in artillery.
"The reality of this war is that Russia is far superior to us in daily artillery attacks. In different parts of the frontline and stages of combat operations, they have fired 5-10 times more artillery shells than Ukrainian forces," Umerov said.
According to him, the current problem faced by the Ukrainian Armed Forces is the shortage of ammunition and shell hunger. He noted that an increase in Ukraine's artillery capabilities would help to improve security and ensure progress on the battlefield.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov cancelled his visit to France today. The reason for the cancellation is security concerns. He was supposed to visit the industrial sites where Caesar self-propelled guns are manufactured and the MBDA missile company in Selles-Saint-Denis. Later, the Ministry of Defence explained the minister's absence in France due to his participation in the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's meeting on 17 January. A new visit is now being discussed.