Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began almost a year ago, The West avoided handing over some of its most powerful weapons to its Slavic ally, for fear of triggering a direct conflict between the two nations. Russia and NATO. But these reluctances gradually waned as the conflict deepened, conditions changed, and the Kremlin badly disdained the most basic laws of war. early summer heavy artillery and mobile missile launchers arrived, It was decisive in the Kharkiv and Kherson counterattacks. But more taboos have been breaking down in recent weeks. To the announcement of the United States and Germany to send anti-missile batteries patrioticfollowed by arrivals from several countries to deliver combat armored vehicles to accompany the first shipments of Western tanks.
The change of position stems from the growing consensus that the war stalemate of recent months must be broken as soon as possible. The two sides got into a stalemate on the eastern front of Donbas., where they fought for miles without major advances, but the prediction is that everything will speed up as winter worsens and the first shoots of spring appear on the horizon. “We totally agree that Ukraine needs it” tanks“, said Laura Cooper, the United States Deputy Secretary of Defense a few days ago. “It’s time to leverage Ukraine’s capabilities and change the dynamics on the battlefield.”
It will not be easy. The last months of the war of attrition hit the Kremlin regroup and they built their defenses behind the occupied territories. “Russia became consolidate their lines and strengthen their positionsMilitary expert Anthony King of the University of Warwick assured the paper. “Therefore, it will be much more difficult for him to regain his lands this spring if they do not have heavier weapons.” a second factor must be added: the estimation of delays during the year supply number of rockets launched from mobile missile launchers HIMARS American made.
It’s a vital weapon in Ukraine’s counterattack last fall. Capable of hitting a target 80 kilometers away, allowed Kiev to destroy Russian ammunition and fuel depots, as well as command centers. “If bottlenecks in supply chains are broken, Ukraine will need armor and tanks to make a difference in ground operations,” King says.
destroyed fleet
The question is how many “steel horses” will be sent to Ukraine to replenish the destroyed Soviet tank fleet, most of them T-72s. Currently only 14 announced defiant 2 According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a small number of Leopard 2A4 donated by the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic and Slovakia promise to replace other previously shipped main battle tanks. However, some fiery numbers that could change if Germany makes a move with the Leopard 2 and in parallel authorizes the twenty NATO countries that have them in their arsenals to re-export them to Ukraine. Poland, Denmark and Finland expressed their intention to donate to the Ukrainian army a few days ago.
The decision was expected to be announced at the end of the meeting to be held in the Assembly this Friday. Ramstein US base It was signed by members of the (Germany) Ukraine Defense Contact Group, but the meeting ended without agreement. Not only did Berlin demand a multinational agreement to send them together, it also wanted Washington to do the same. conceptsAs published by ‘The Wall Street Journal’.
“It’s not an easy decision because the Europeans don’t have many tanks that can be deployed immediately. Countries like Belgium, which had hundreds of tanks, removed them from their arsenals at the beginning of the 21st century and now there are none, says geostrategist Sven Biscop of the University of Ghent. The decision to send is less painful. armored warfare USA promised 50 to Ukraine Bradley; Germany, 40 marder; France, unknown number AMX-10 RC and Canada, 200 senatora type of armored vehicle for transporting infantry.
But these figures are still far from the 300 tanks and a minimum of 600 armored combat vehicles that his Army will need to drive Russian troops out of the country and win the war, according to General Valery Zaluzhny, the commander of the Ukrainian forces. victory. war. The figures mentioned will help Ukraine, but clearly insufficient to change the tide of war‘, says Biscop from Brussels. A view shared by the King of England. “The British military expert may help Ukraine succeed in a new counterattack, but no one should think that this will completely change the course,” he said.
Source: Informacion
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