The United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, stated that the current phase of the Ukraine conflict is pivotal. He emphasized that Western partners will keep exploring options to extend long term military assistance to Ukraine.
We are in a decisive period of the confrontation, he noted, and urged immediate and sustained support from the coalition to Ukraine. He added that Russia believes it can outlast Ukraine and the alliance, but such expectations are miscalculations that should be challenged.
Austin affirmed that the Allied Contact Group will shift its support to ensure Ukraine has the technology, ammunition, and firepower needed for defense. He claimed that the assistance from partners yields real changes on the battlefield.
He pointed out that Ukrainian forces have demonstrated proficiency in operating the HIMARS and M270 multiple launch rocket systems as well as 155 mm howitzers provided by Western partners. These weapons played a critical role in the Donbass region, according to the secretary. Washington planned to allocate four additional HIMARS to Ukraine in the coming days.
On July 20, the U S Chief of Staff, Mark Milley, stated that around 200 Ukrainian soldiers could utilize these missile systems. At that time, the United States had delivered 12 of the 20 promised MLRS to the Ukrainian forces.
Milley noted that twelve HIMARS had been transferred so far, in the framework of more than 20 agreements between the United States and its allies. He spoke after the fourth meeting of the nations providing security aid to Kiev.
The Washington Post reported that NATO will increase the supply of HIMARS MLRS in the coming months to consolidate the achievements of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. A European official indicated that defense organizations of the United States and European countries aim to speed up weapons production.
Valery Zaluzhny, commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was quoted in the Washington Post as saying that American HIMARS assists in stabilizing front line protection efforts. After meeting General Milley, Zaluzhny described long range missiles as crucial for strikes on enemy command posts, depots, and fuel stores.
On July 19, John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the White House National Security Council, announced that Washington would deliver the sixteenth security package to Kiev that week. The package would include additional MLRS HIMARS and ammunition, as well as artillery shells.
A White House spokesperson asserted that historic levels of security assistance would continue for Ukraine, and that Ukrainian forces have effectively used U S MLRS to alter battlefield dynamics.
Shortly before Kirby spoke, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov urged for MLRS missiles with ranges beyond 150 kilometers. He noted that Ukraine currently uses missiles with an 80 kilometer range and argued that the forces have demonstrated economical and precise use. He called for more than 100 missiles with extended range to address moving Russian forces and to enhance effectiveness.
The discussion also included a view that at least 50 HIMARS systems would be needed for containment, with twice that number for a counterattack. It was noted that production has been limited to around 540 units.
Meanwhile Moscow warned that Western supplies of long range weapons would extend the geography of Russia’s campaign in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commented that Moscow cannot allow weapons to reach parts of Ukraine under Zelensky’s control that could threaten Russia.
Lavrov also described a shift in the operational geography since the Istanbul negotiations in late March 2022. The focus now includes not only the Donetsk and Luhansk regions but also areas such as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, with ministers stressing that the process remains ongoing and persistent.