Ex-NATO Commander Warns U.S. Running Low on Ammo as Ukraine War Drags On

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe James Stavridis warned on Friday that both the United States and Ukraine are running low on ammunition as Russia's war drags on.

Stavridis wrote in a Bloomberg op-ed published on Friday that Russia and Ukraine are experiencing shortages in ammunition, electronic components, precision-guided weapons and cement amidst the war. The shortages could be exacerbated by issues in the global commercial supply chain, which according to Stavridis, are beginning to "manifest."

Ukraine is expected to launch a spring counteroffensive against Russia and has been receiving continuous military assistance from the West to defeat Russian troops, including advanced equipment, tanks and artillery. In January, Satvridis said that the Leopard tanks that Germany sent to Kyiv could work in Ukraine's favor.

Stavridis said that he was "nervous" a decade ago about a potential conflict with Russia, adding that while Western allies have an inventory advantage and capability, Russia has a "competent" industrial base, lots or raw materials, and the labor needed to operate the machines in their factories and foundries.

"The huge needs of Ukraine are driving challenges in supplying material to combat operations at a level I did not anticipate," Stavridis wrote in his op-ed. "The need for electronic components in particular—to build precision-guided weapons, sophisticated drones, anti-ship cruise missiles, and so-called smart artillery rounds—is soaring.

"Despite the sluggish global economy, civilian firms are competing with the Western militaries for the crucial semi-conductor chips, particularly the high-end ones produced largely in Taiwan."

Cement is another product becoming scarce, according to Stavridis, as reconstruction is needed in Ukraine while the war drags on. It is also in high demand in the U.S. for infrastructure projects set to be carried out as per the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. There are projections that other products may run low as well such as guns, missiles, and ammunition—especially howitzer shells. Stavridis also warned against a "severe" shortage of "skilled" munitions workers.

"Notable among the stockpiles running low are the 155-mm gun rounds that have emerged as the key offensive punch for the Ukrainians. Several analysts believe that Ukraine is burning through a year's worth of US prewar production monthly," Stavridis wrote.

The former NATO commander continued: "While the Department of Defense will continue to protect its own war reserves, the excess armament levels—stockpiled for contingencies beyond basic needs of the US war plans—are very low. And it is not just howitzer rounds: The high performance HIMARS rockets are in short supply as well, for example."

Western nations have to ensure contractual production "so the defense firms are not left holding the bag if the war abruptly concludes," according to Stavridis.

"While there will be some pinching in specific global commercial supply chains (e.g., electronics, construction materials, some minerals), the overall capacity to outproduce the tottering Russian economy is clear. Assuming China continues to wisely decline to throw Putin a war material lifeline, Russia will fall further and further behind Western production abilities," Stavridis concluded.

"This classic 'American way of war,' which succeeded in both World War II and ultimately in the Cold War, keeps the odds in favor of the Ukrainians," he added.

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry via email for comment.