The Washington Post writes that the enthusiasm that accompanied the successes of the Ukrainian troops in the West at the beginning of special operations waned. Observers of the broadcast say that the hope that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) can stop the Russian army has also disappeared.
The authors of the material complain that although the West is supplying weapons as promised, it is “too slow and in insufficient quantities to hinder Russia’s success in eastern Ukraine.”
At the end of last month, close to 100 Ukrainian soldiers are said to have been killed every day on the battlefield. Journalists attribute the increase in the death toll to the lack of ammunition. Earlier, adviser to the head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine, Aleksey Arestovich, suggested that the Ukrainian troops lost about 10,000 soldiers.
The Washington Post writes that Russia also suffered losses, but much less than Ukraine, and also needed military equipment. However, the journalists of the publication admit that Russia is “clearly the strong side” in this conflict.
The authors of the article quote Oleksandr Danilyuk, adviser to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on defense and intelligence issues: “The strategies and tactics of the Russians are now completely different. They are much more successful. They have more resources than us and are in no rush.” He also described as premature the assumption that Western weapons would help Ukraine regain territory under the control of the Russian Armed Forces.
According to The Washington Post, Danilyuk previously stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces does not have long-range artillery. And although the army “has the coordinates of their whole” [ВС РФ] they can’t hit “important targets” because there’s no way to “attack” at long ranges.
The Ukrainian politician also reported that Ukraine has almost completely run out of ammunition for Soviet weapons systems, which are the basis of the arsenal of the country’s armed forces.
Danilyuk believes that the country needs long-range and more sophisticated Western systems. The Pentagon previously said that most of the artillery pieces of the American M777 howitzer were used on the battlefield in Ukraine, which, according to Washington, allowed the Armed Forces to compare it with the “firepower” of the Russian Armed Forces.
In addition, the Washington Post emphasizes that the US authorities have sent several “excellent and long-range HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems” to Kiev. But it will take several weeks to train the Ukrainian military to use them.
The delivery of HIMARS MLRS to Ukraine was categorically criticized in Russia. US President Joe Biden assured Moscow that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised him not to hit targets in Russia.
The range of the projectiles can reach up to 480 km, which poses a direct threat to Russian territory. The Russian embassy in the US said the White House was showing irresponsibility by supplying Kiev with long-range artillery systems, despite the escalation danger.
In addition to the United States, many other countries also supply weapons to Ukraine. including Germany. Today, June 11, became knownDuring the summer, FRG will supply Ukraine with seven self-propelled howitzers and 30 Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns.