SOCHI, October 6. /TASS/. Out of the public view, the West has been demanding that the Ukrainian troops advance at all costs, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

"The West is running out of ammunition. As I have already said, the United States produces 14,000 shells of 155mm caliber per month, and Ukrainian troops are using up to 5,000 of them daily. The West has been trying to increase their production to 75,000 per month by the end of the next year, but it is still a long way off. The same applies to Europe," Putin said.

"They said they had provided [Ukraine] with everything it needs, with armored vehicles and ammunition, said that they did everything they could for Ukraine. This is what they said, I did not make this up. They have stated publicly that they had done their part, and now it is up to Ukraine, who needs to launch its counter-offensive. And, out of the public view, they add that this must be done ‘at all costs,’" he continued.

"Trust me, I know what I’m talking about. And this is exactly what they have been doing - they have been trying to advance at all costs," the Russian president added.