MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. Ukrainian armed forces suffer from a deficit of artillery, ammunition, warplanes and tanks, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said Friday. Speaking during a joint press conference with his Latvian counterpart Egils Levits in Lvov, Zelensky claimed that, due to the shortage of weapons and ammunition, the West must speed up arms shipments to Ukraine.
"Artillery is the number one thing that we need. Both systems and ammunition, shells in large amounts," Zelensky said.
He claimed that Ukraine needs artillery not to strike Russian territory, but to take back regions, which Kiev still continues to consider its own. In addition, Zelensky stated a deficit of warplanes.
"We need planes. Not talks or promises, just to train our guys and hand over planes," he noted.
The Ukrainian president also acknowledged the lack of tanks in the Ukrainian forces.
"I believe that, whatever happens, we will obtain a tank army," he said. "Our armed forces are already being trained, it will happen soon. However, there is a certain deficit."
Answering a question from a reporter on how arms shipments to Kiev could be sped up, Zelensky noted that it is necessary to "speak publicly" about shortages.
"And the countries that help us can publicly support shipments of various types of weapons. There are no more secrets as to what weapons we have," he said.
The reporter, who asked the question, disclosed that she talked to Ukrainian servicemen in Artyomovsk (Bakhmut). According to the reporter, the servicemen told her about shortage of weapons, ammunition, warplanes and helicopters.