What does the Ukrainian army lack in terms of weapons and what could it get from America?

Air defense systems, medium- and long-range missiles and artillery shells are the most urgently needed weapons for Ukraine

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Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

America should soon send a new package of military aid to Ukraine worth 61 billion dollars.

But what weapons can Kiev get and what difference can they make in trying to stop the Russian advance?

Air defense systems, medium- and long-range missiles, and artillery shells are the most urgently needed weapons for Ukraine.

Ukraine said it needed the money for weapons "yesterday, not tomorrow or today" and that without further American aid it could be defeated.

From February 2022 to January 2024, the US gave Ukraine $45,6 billion in military aid, according to the Kiel Institute, a German research organization.

Germany gave it 19,1 billion dollars, Great Britain 9,8 billion dollars, Denmark 9,1 billion dollars, and the European Union (EU) 6,1 billion dollars.

What does Ukraine lack in terms of weapons?

The Ukrainian army lacks ammunition, and morale is low, the administration of US President Joseph Biden has warned.

One of the key shortcomings is missiles for air defense systems.

Air defense

Repelling Russian airstrikes is vital to protecting cities and critical infrastructure, such as power plants.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that this year alone, his country had come under attack from nearly 1.200 Russian missiles, more than 1.500 drones and 8.500 guided bombs.

Ukraine has a variety of systems supplied by the West, from the short-range Stinger shoulder-fired missiles to the advanced, and extremely expensive, Patriot missile system.

Zelensky said that they need at least seven more Patriot, or similar systems.


Russia's cruise and ballistic missiles, including the modified S-300 and S-400 surface-to-air missiles, are difficult to counter as they are fired in large numbers along with hundreds of Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones.

A classic tactic for defeating an air defense is to flood it with targets in the sky, thereby employing its presence detection and tracking radar systems and depleting its missile supply.

"Ukraine needs long-range interceptor missiles to counter Russian cruise missiles, which it uses to target defense positions and civilian targets," says Dr Marina Miron of King's College London.

Its armed forces are also limited to firing 2.000 shells a day, according to UK-based think tank the Royal United Services Institute.

In contrast, Russian forces fire up to 10.000 shells a day, the institute says.

They add that they receive almost three million grenades a year from Russian factories and from North Korea.

Since October, Ukraine has lost 583 square kilometers of territory in the east of the country to Russian forces, mostly due to a lack of artillery ammunition.

According to Kiev, the lack of anti-aircraft missiles and artillery shells were allegedly the key reasons for the loss of the town of Avdeyevka in Donbass in February.

The EU failed to meet its goal of sending one million grenades to Ukraine by the beginning of March.

However, the Czech Republic agreed a $1,5 billion deal in March for the group of 18 NATO and EU countries to buy 800.000 rounds - both 155mm and 122mm - from outside the EU.

Anti-tank weapons

Western countries responded to Russia's February 2022 invasion by providing Ukraine's armed forces with defensive weapons to counter its armored brigades.

The US and Great Britain have supplied thousands of Javelin and Nlav anti-tank missiles.

They were thought to be key to stopping the advance of Russian forces on Kiev.

Medium to long range missiles

But the war on the ground is the most important.

Since October, Russian forces have captured nearly 583 square kilometers of eastern Ukrainian territory, largely due to a lack of artillery.

High Mobility Artillery Missile Systems (HIMARS) have played a key role for Ukraine, as they fire guided munitions from a mobile platform.

They arrive at their destination, set up, fire rockets, and are quickly removed before Russian forces can locate and attack it.

More HIMARS systems in Ukraine should be expected, and perhaps a promise to deliver new Bradley tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.


What matters is that the long-range version of the US Army's Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) is ready to ship.

The older ATACMS systems have been in Ukraine since the end of last year, but the newer version can double the missile's range to 300 kilometers.

These missiles can reach deeper into the territory of the Crimean peninsula, which Russia uses as its main naval base protected by anti-aircraft and other anti-missile systems.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014

Ukraine also received other long-range missiles such as scalp from France and storm shadow from Great Britain.


Artillery shells

It should not be forgotten that the M777 howitzers require a constant supply of 155 mm artillery shells.

As of February 2022, the United States has sent 2.000.000 such grenades to Ukraine, and they are likely to be delivered in this latest package.

with the BBC

Anti-tank weapons

Western countries responded to Russia's February 2022 invasion by providing Ukraine's armed forces with defensive weapons to counter its armored brigades.

The US and Great Britain have supplied thousands of Javelin and Nlav anti-tank missiles.

They were thought to be key to stopping the advance of Russian forces on Kiev.

The United States has what it calls a "very robust logistics network" to quickly ship weapons.

"As we've done in the past, we can get everything organized in a matter of days," Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters last week.

The supplies were probably moved closer to Ukraine, and upon delivery they officially become Ukraine's property.

But the delivery of weapons to the front line, especially artillery, can take days or even weeks, during which time Russian forces continue their attacks in eastern Ukraine.

Tanks

Western countries also sent tanks to Ukraine, hoping to help Ukrainian forces break through Russian lines.

Great Britain provided the Challenger 2.

The US sent 31 Abrams tanks and European countries sent several German Leopard 2 tanks.

The US-made M1 Abrams has been described as the most advanced tank in the world.

However, none of these tanks contributed to Ukraine's counter-offensive last year, which proved unsuccessful.

BOrbi planei F-16

The delivery of these aircraft was approved before this latest aid, but they are now significant because they will soon be used in combat.

Ukrainian pilots and crews continue training for Western F-16 aircraft, which are currently in Romania.

These multirole aircraft carry more powerful air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, and will potentially improve Ukraine's air defenses.

In the next few months, Denmark, the Netherlands and the USA are expected to deliver the first of several dozen Vipers, versions of the F-16 fighter, to Ukraine.

These planes will not decide the war, but they will be another significant arrow in the arsenal of Kiev.

Moscow has said that the F-16s will not make much of a difference on the battlefield and that Russian forces will shoot them down.


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