Artillery still the top killer on the battlefield, says Canadian general

There has been a lot of talk about how drones are reshaping modern warfare, with much focus on the role being played by robotic aircraft during the war in Ukraine.

But the statistics from the battlefield show that artillery is still dominant on the battlefield.

Russian artillery far outweighs Ukraine

Russia is estimated to have more than 4,000 artillery pieces firing around 10,000 rounds a day at Ukraine’s forces. Ukraine is said to be rationing its artillery fire to about 2,000 a day.

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre explained the situation during his April 8 appearance before the Senate defence committee.

“You are seeing a disparity in the number of arms and equipment between the two sides,” he testified. “The weight of artillery that Russia is able to bring down on the Ukrainians far outweighs what Ukraine is able to provide. Despite the drones and the missiles, the vast majority of the battlefield casualties are being caused by artillery. It’s the same as warfare in the 20th century, where 70% of battlefield kills, injuries and wounds were caused by artillery. It’s the same thing now. That is a key shortfall.”

 

PHOTO: Canadian Armed Forces members of “Dragon” Battery from NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group conduct a firing mission with an M777 Howitzer during in Latvia in September.
CREDIT: Sargento (OR-7) Abraham Muñoz, Howitzer Crew Commander, Spanish Armed Forces.