- David Brown, Jake Horton & Tural Ahmedzade
- BBC News
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Ukraine has renewed its request for more arms supplies to resist Russia’s invasion.
“We need to destroy the Russian artillery advantage. We need much more modern systems,” President Volodymyr Zelensky told the latest NATO meeting.
If Ukraine does not receive the weapons it needs to defeat Russia, he added, NATO leaders will face a future war with Moscow themselves.
More of 30 countries they have delivered huge amounts of military equipment to Ukraine, but heavy weaponry has been slow in coming and in some areas Ukrainian troops have been outgunned.
Which countries are giving more?
In terms of spending, the US has committed to providing much more than any other single country.
The UK and Poland have pledged to spend the second and third largest amounts.
In terms of money already spent, rather than spending commitments, the White House says the US has provided US $ 6.3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.
Britain says it has given $1.6bn, with another $1.2bn in preparation, since the start of the war.
President Zelensky has asked for more funds and has said that the monthly cost of defense for Ukraine was regarding US $ 5 billion.
What are the key systems?
Military professionals say that success on the battlefield requires great variety of weapons, as well as training, spare parts and other support.
“No weapon system is a magic bullet,” according to Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.
However, several weapon systems are believed to have played a key role in the conflict so far.
long range rockets
With Ukrainian positions in the east of the country under heavy Russian bombardment, analysts say Ukraine urgently needs better supplies of artillery and ammunition to hold key positions.
So far, 10 long-range multiple rocket launchers are believed to have been delivered to Ukraine or are on their way, from the US, UK and Germany.
Ukraine says many more are needed to stop Russia’s advance.
American systems are M142 Himars (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), which are multiple rocket launchers mounted on light armored vehicles.
The range of the Himars and many other systems varies depending on the munitions used, and Western donors have not provided the munitions with the longest range.
Ammunition currently supplied to Ukraine gives the system a range of regarding 70 km, which is comparable to the Smerch system on the Russian side.
However, Himars is much more accurate than equivalent Russian systems.
Howitzers
Australia, Canada and the US have also sent more than 100 M777 howitzers and 300,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition to Ukraine.
The range of the M777 is similar to the Russian Giatsint-B howitzer and much longer than the Russian D-30 towed gun.
Ukraine’s own Warsaw Pact-designed artillery uses 152mm shells.
But with stocks running low, Ukraine is switching to NATO-configured 155mm ammunition.
Redirecting Ukraine’s ammunition supplies is complicated and difficult, and reports suggest that Ukrainian forces are experiencing a severe shortage in some areas.
image source, Getty Images
Analysis by Jonathan Beale, defense correspondent
The West has been relatively slow to respond to Ukraine’s request for heavy weapons.
In the early stages of the war, there was concern regarding provoking Russia.
Politicians also seriously underestimated the level of Ukraine’s resistance.
Over time, those attitudes have changed, although there are still questions regarding the West’s determination to continue supplying Ukraine with weapons.
At first, the focus was on providing Ukraine with compatible weapons, the ones they have been trained to use. That included Soviet-era tanks, air defense systems, and ammunition.
The United States and other allies have helped look to Europe for similar weapons, but those stockpiles have slowly been depleted.
So now there is a transition to send most modern western weapons in the hope that it will be more sustainable in the long run.
But that has brought more challenges. Modern weapons systems are often more complex and require training, not only to operate them, but also to maintain and repair them.
Western weapons are also designed for a Western way of warfare, which focuses more on precision than quantity and mass.
For Ukraine, fighting for its life once morest an overwhelming enemy, the numbers still matter. Ukraine still believes that it is not receiving enough weapons. At the beginning of the war, Ukraine asked for more fighter planes. So far none have been delivered.
image source, Getty Images
anti tank weapons
Ukraine has been supplied with at least 5,000 guns Nlaw (which are launched from the shoulder), designed to destroy tanks with a single shot.
The weapons are believed to have been particularly important in stopping the advance of Russian forces into Kyiv* in the hours and days following the invasion.
“The Nlaw were absolutely instrumental in defeating Russian ground attacks in the early stages of the war,” according to Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute.
tanks
Ukraine has received more than 230 Warsaw Pact-designed tanks from Poland and the Czech Republic.
The Ukrainian armed forces have been using T-72s for decades and have maintenance and spare parts capabilities, as well as a trained crew.
Poland’s tank donation has been supplemented in part by alternative weaponry from allied nations, including UK Challenger 2 tanks.
Drones
Drones have had a large presence in the conflict so far, with many being used for surveillance, targeting and heavy lifting operations.
Turkey has sold Bayraktar TB2 armed drones to Ukraine in recent months, while the Turkish manufacturer of the system has donated drones for crowdfunding operations in support of Ukraine.
Analysts say the Bayraktar TB2s have been extremely effective, flying to around 7,600m before descending to hit Russian targets with laser-guided bombs.
They are believed to have destroyed helicopters, warships and missile systems.
They have also been used to provide the exact location of Russian positions for precision artillery strikes.
air defenses
Ukraine has successfully denied Russia full control of Ukrainian airspace during the conflict, but has repeatedly called for better air defense systems.
Washington recently announced that it will send NASAMS, an advanced surface-to-air missile system, to Ukraine.
Kyiv has also received S-300 air air defense systems from Slovakia.
Graphics: Gerry Fletcher and Sana Dionysiou
*BBC Mundo has decided to adopt Kyiv when naming the capital of Ukraine to more accurately reflect its original spelling in Ukrainian.
image source, Getty Images
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