The Ukrainian army on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield has always lacked artillery shells, especially Soviet-made shells. The United States rummaged through Poland, the Czech Republic, and the Baltic states of Eastern Europe and did not find enough ammunition.
The United States and Britain began to pay for Soviet-made artillery shells all over the world, and sometimes things are like this, as long as you are willing to pay, you will have what you want. After all, having money can make ghosts grind!
Now, the Ukrainian army has begun to use shells from Iran, Cyprus and even Pakistan. Iranian-made OF-462 122 mm howitzers and Pakistani-made 122 mm shells both appeared on Ukrainian positions. Therefore, some people say that the Russian army has not yet used the drones that Iran is still producing, and it has been bombarded by Iranian-made shells.
As long as you are willing to pay a high price, there will always be all kinds of middlemen and brokers who can get what you want. Pakistan's relationship with the United States, in particular, is complex. There is a large pro-American faction within Pakistan, and pakistan has very deep relations with Turkey, Azerbaijan and other countries.
Therefore, it is relatively easy for the Americans to get some shells from Pakistan. It was not difficult for the Americans to get shells from Iran. Powerful departments such as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are doing business in everything from pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, military industry to the oil industry, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have various subsidies and formation trusts. Involved in all walks of life, even eye laser surgery is done.
In fact, the Pakistani army also does business, and the Pakistan army is the largest commercial entity group in Pakistan. The main economic activities of the Pakistani army are carried out by two economic entities. One is the Fargee Foundation and the other is the Army Welfare Trust. Now these two foundations are two super consortiums.
These two consortiums operate financial services, fertilizers, cement, food, power generation, education, IT, health industries, etc., as well as catering, aviation, security services, real estate and seeds, and so on, and almost no one in Pakistan can compete with them.
And the Pakistan Army is also the largest real estate developer in Pakistan, and the Pakistan Army's National Defense Housing Authority has become a giant real estate conglomerate. Moreover, Ukraine and Pakistan themselves have long had military cooperation, especially military-industrial cooperation. India's main military technology comes from France, Russia and Israel, while Pakistan's main military technology comes from us, Turkey, the United States and Ukraine.
Therefore, it is relatively easy for the Americans to get some shells from Pakistan and Iran. Moreover, these two companies still have a special amount of Soviet-style ammunition in stock, far exceeding those of eastern European countries. This is more troublesome for Russia.
However, now Zelensky also has a good way to help, just like fishing. Neither can you pull the fish hook too tightly, you have to pull it, loosen it, and the fish can't run away. In fact, in the casino is also a truth, to give the gambler some hope, in order to let the gambler lose a fine light. So Ukraine should also give everyone a little hope, so that the West thinks that a little harder work can solve the war.
It is as if the Ukrainian counter-offensive at Kherson will not have a dense large-scale offensive at all. The offensive was basically 1-2 company-sized units at a time. The Ukrainian counter-offensive will not be like a flood that sweeps everything, but the main front line is contained, and long-range weapons strike the Russian supply lines and communication lines. It is more like a little bit of soaking and corroding the Russian army, which will be filled with a fairly dense tug-of-war and war of attrition.
The front lost a few tanks a day, and a few guns were not important. The key to the Battle of Kherson was whether the Ukrainian army could completely clear the ammunition depots, pontoon bridges and command centers in the rear of the Russian army. Completely isolated the 20,000 Russian troops in the city of Kherson in the battle.
The key for the Russian army is whether the Russian air defense system can prevent the Ukrainian army from long-range strikes, ensure the early opening of several bridges on the Dnieper River, and ensure the logistical supply of the Russian army in Kherson. This determined the final outcome of the Battle of Kherson.