Germany as well as the US have pledged to arm Ukraine with certain of the modern weapons it has long wished for to shoot down aircrafts and dismantling artillery as Russian forces pressed on the capture of a crucial city in eastern Ukraine.
Germany has announced it will provide Ukraine with the most up-to-date anti-aircraft missiles as well as radar systems, and the US said it would supply four advanced medium-range rocket systems as well as ammunition.
The US is working to help Ukraine to fight off the Russians without inciting a bigger conflict in Europe. The Pentagon has received assurances that Ukraine will not launch new missiles on Russian territories.
To its part, the Kremlin claimed Washington as “pouring fuel onto the fire.”Western arms have been crucial to the success of Ukraine in stopping Russia’s more powerful and well-equipped military, hindering its attempts to invade the capital, in Kiev and forcing Moscow to shift its attention on in the industrial Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
As Russia attacks cities as it advances to the west, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for greater and more powerful weapons and blamed of the West that it is moving slow.
Andriy Yermak, director of the Ukrainian president’s office, was awed by his new Western weapons.
“I’m sure that if get all the weapons we need and bolster the effective sanctions regime, we’ll prevail,” he said.
The new arms can assist Ukraine establish and maintain new lines of defense in the east , by striking back at Russian artillery units that are wreaking havoc on cities and towns, and by restricting Russian airstrikes, according to former French general Dominique Trinquand an ex-head of France’s military unit at the United Nations.
“The NATO countries – the European nations as well as the Americans have gradually increased the weapons they put to Ukraine’s disposal. And this I believe was geared towards testing Russian limitations,” he said. “Each moment, they evaluate the Russian reaction. And as there isn’t any reaction, they continue to provide ever more effective and sophisticated weapons.”
Military analysts believe Russia is looking to take over the Donbas before any weapons that could alter the situation arrive. It could take up to three weeks for the precise US equipment and troops on the field as the Pentagon declared. However, defense undersecretary Colin Kahl said he believes they will be there at the right time to help in the battle.
In light of the ferocity combat and extent of the attack on Ukrainian cities and villages carried out by the Russian army The continued supply of more and more massive weapons Ukraine is facing a variety of obstacles. One of the most pressing is logistics. The majority of weapons are transported to Ukraine via Poland through air or rail transport, and supply lines are more vulnerable to attacks.
German weapons systems
Germany’s pledge of IRIS-T air defense systems will represent the first delivery of air defense systems with a long range to Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict. Previous deliveries of portable, shoulder-fired missiles for air defense have increased the Ukrainian army’s capability to bring down helicopters and other aircraft flying low but did not provide enough range to compete with Russia’s air supremacy.
The Biden administration has provided more than US$53 billion (£43 billion) in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and highly advanced drones specially designed for Ukraine and this conflict. These have all played a significant part in Ukraine’s so-far robust defence against Russian aggression.
Given the intensity of the fighting and the scale of the attacks on Ukrainian cities and villages by the Russian armed forces, the continued supply of increasingly heavy weapons to Ukraine faces several obstacles. The most immediate is logistics, most weapons are transferred to Ukraine through Poland either by rail or air transport and these supply lines are vulnerable to attack.
Another issue is that some of the heavier weapons systems (artillery, armoured vehicles and air defence systems) require some training of Ukrainian forces before they can be used in battle. There are also legal and procedural issues. The president can only spend funds appropriated by Congress, and if weapons are sold or transferred to Ukraine they are subject to the Foreign Assistance Act (FSA) and the Arms Export Control Act (AECA).
Germany has been the target of specific criticism from both within the country and from allies around the world and from allies abroad, for not doing enough. German President Olaf Scholz told lawmakers that IRIS-T’s missiles that strike from the air are the most advanced air defense system the nation has.
“With this, we’ll help Ukraine to protect an entire town from Russian air strikes,” he said. The radar systems will aid Ukraine identify artillery from the enemy.
American military assistance
The rocket systems form part of a brand new $750 million (EUR657 million) package of security aid in Ukraine in the US that include helicopters Javelin Anti-tank weapons systems and radars, as well as military vehicles and spare components, and many more.
The rockets are capable of a range of approximately 80 kilometers and are extremely mobile. Ukraine has been unsuccessful in obtaining rockets that have a range of as long as 300 kilometers.
Another problem is that some of the more powerful weapons systems (artillery as well as armoured vehicles, and defense systems for air) require some form of training for Ukrainian forces prior to their use in combat. There are legal and procedural questions. The president is only able to spend the funds that are authorized by Congress when weapons are transferred or sold into Ukraine it is subject to Foreign Assistance Act (FSA) and the Arms Export Control Act (AECA).
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow does not believe in promises that Ukraine will not launch missiles on Russian territory. “We are convinced that the US are deliberately and systematically infusing fuel into the flame,” he said.
Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintzev later went further, accusing Ukraine of plotting to fire US-supplied missiles from the northern Sumy region to border regions in Russia. The claims is based on the rumor of radio intercepts, can’t be verified independently.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Ukraine’s push for additional weapons is an “direct provocation aimed at bringing people from the West into the fight.” Lavrov warned that the proliferation of rocket launchers could increase the likelihood of an escalating conflict.
“Sane Western politicians understand those risks very well,” he said.
