MAHMOUD BENNETT: AS THE RUSSIAN-LED WAR IN UKRAINE REACHES ITS ONE-YEAR MARK, THE UNITED STATES IS FEELING THE STRAIN.

SUPPLIES ARE RUNNING LOW AND THE PENTAGON IS NOW TAPPING INTO A LITTLE-KNOWN STOCKPILE OF AMERICAN AMMUNITION IN ISRAEL TO HELP MEET UKRAINE’S NEED FOR ARTILLERY SHELLS IN ITS WAR AGAINST RUSSIA.

I’M MAHMOUD BENNETT WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS BRINGING YOU THE UNBIASED STRAIGHT FACTS

THIS STOCKPILE, LOCATED ON ISRAELI SOIL, IS TYPICALLY USED TO PROVIDE ARMS AND AMMUNITION FOR THE PENTAGON TO USE IN MIDDLE EASTERN CONFLICTS. BUT IT REMAINS OPEN FOR ISRAEL TO USE IN THEIR OWN EMERGENCIES. 

ALREADY, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF THESE 155 MM SHELLS HAVE BEEN SHIPPED TO UKRAINE AS KIEV SHIFTS TO FIRING AMMUNITION ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY DONATED BY THE US AND WESTERN ALLIES.

MILITARY ANALYSTS BELIEVE THE WAR’S END MAY HINGE ON WHICH SIDE RUNS OUT OF AMMUNITION FIRST. BUT US OFFICIALS SAY THE UKRAINIAN ARMY IS USING ABOUT 90,000 ARTILLERY ROUNDS A MONTH – OR ABOUT TWICE THE RATE THEY’RE BEING MANUFACTURED BY THE US AND EUROPEAN COUNTRIES COMBINED.

TO DATE, US TAXPAYERS HAVE COMMITTED AT LEAST $18 BILLION IN WEAPONRY ALONE TO UKRAINE – AND WHEN WE FACTOR IN U.S. AID AS A WHOLE, THAT FIGURE JUMPS TO NEARLY $100 BILLION – MORE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.