Russia Used 'More Weapons' In Ukraine War Than US In 20 Years: General Hodges

A self-propelled howitzer 2S1 Gvozdika of pro-Russian troops fires a leaflet shell in the direction of Sievierodonetsk to disperse information materials from their combat positions in the Luhansk region, Ukraine May 24, 2022. Reuters / ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO

KEY POINTS

Retired U.S. Gen. Ben Hodges said Russia used more weapons in the last six months than the U.S. has over the past 20 years
Russia will not be able to restore most of its modern weapons due to current sanctions, according to Hodges
The country's stockpile of conventional munitions, missiles and weapons may still last "for some time," he suggested

Russia's troops "have used more weapons" in the last six months than the United States has over the past 20 years, according to a retired U.S. Army general.

Ben Hodges, the former commanding general of the U.S. Army's forces in Europe, made the claim during an interview with The New Voice of Ukraine.

"We know that [the Russians] have used enough shells and missiles not only on the military, but also on civilian targets such as hospitals, schools and housing, and thanks to the current sanctions, they will definitely not be able to restore most of their modern weapons," he said.

Hodges said he does not know how many conventional ammunition, missiles and weapons Russia has left, but he can assume that the country's current stockpile may be able to last "for some time."

However, the retired military officer said he believes that Russian troops have reached their climax, a term first described by Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz as the point at which an attacker loses their opportunity to strike.

"In my opinion, the Russians peaked a few weeks ago. As their logistics become more and more unreliable, the army commanders lack a coherent strategy and lose morale, and the soldiers do not have much desire to fight," Hodges said, according to a machine translation of his interview.

"And, of course, Ukrainian defenders act professionally, using weapons to very successfully break the enemy's logistical chains. Therefore, I am sure that the Russians have reached a climax in this war," he added.

Hodges' claims came after U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a news briefing Tuesday that Russia was about to purchase millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for use in Ukraine.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby later said that there were "no indications that that purchase has been completed and certainly no indications that those weapons are being used inside of Ukraine."

"We don't have any indication that the purchase has actually occurred yet so it's difficult to say what it's actually going to end up looking like," he said.

Russia is currently on track to experience a shortage in munitions by the end of the year, according to an analysis by independent investigative outlet The Insider.

Russian forces were firing between 40,000 and 60,000 shells every day, general Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, previously said.