(Dan Tri) – Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines said the US’s $60 billion military aid package will be a great morale boost in the context of Russia stepping up its offensive on the battlefield.
Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery in Donetsk (Photo: Reuters).
The Ukraine aid bill was passed by the US Senate last weekend and continued to be passed by the Senate on April 23.
Ukraine’s weapons wish list is no longer a secret.
Over the past several months, Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines have admitted to being overwhelmed by the Russian army in terms of firepower.
`To win, we need ammunition… our artillery is running out,` an artillery reconnaissance commander of the 110th mechanized brigade, nicknamed `Teren`, told CNN.
Teren knows what he’s talking about, having spent two years defending the industrial city of Avdiivka before it fell to Russia in February. Since then, Moscow’s forces have made significant progress, advancing far
To highlight one of the many flashpoints in the Donetsk region, a Ukrainian monitoring group, DeepState, has tracked a series of Russian advances last week along the railway line into the heart of a large village with
Although Ocheretyne had no strategic value, the village was located on a mountainside, making it a notable military target.
An officer of the Eastern Command of Ukraine said that if Russian forces succeed in controlling the village, Moscow places important Ukrainian logistics routes, connecting three important Ukrainian military centers including Kostiantynivka,
As new US military aid prepares to be delivered, the question is how quickly vital ammunition like 155mm Howitzer shells can be delivered to the front lines to stop Russia’s advance.
Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder, speaking last week before the House vote, said the Department of Defense was `ready to respond quickly` if any orders were given.
`We have a very robust logistics network that allows us to move supplies very quickly. As we have done before, we can move within a few days,` Mr. Ryder said.
Mark Warner, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, also said he hoped the equipment would be `shipped by the end of the week`.
A US source familiar with the provision of military aid to Ukraine revealed that much of this aid had been booked at storage facilities in Germany and Poland.
Once across the border, officials in Kiev will seek to get the equipment to where it is needed as quickly as possible, but this will pose a significant logistical challenge due to the sheer amount of equipment involved.
In other words, Russia’s overwhelming 10:1 firepower advantage will not be eliminated immediately.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in the US warned that Ukraine `will likely continue to face shortages of artillery shells and air defense systems in the coming weeks, as well as the corresponding limitations that this shortage entails.`
ISW speculates that Russia may seek to attack transportation networks such as railways to complicate aid delivery, while also seeking to accelerate its advance along the front lines in the time before US aid arrives.
One area that could be the focus of any immediate intensified Russian offensive is the city of Chasiv Yar, a key forward military location for Ukraine since Russia controls the city of Bakhmut – which
Multiple reports from Ukrainian soldiers describe heavy fighting in a string of villages between Chasiv Yar and Bakhmut as Russian forces attempted to advance.
Chasiv Yar is also being attacked from the air by giant `guided` bombs dropped from Russian warplanes.
Ukraine wants the US to provide a series of surface-to-air missile systems to counter the threat from Russia, in addition to more interceptors for the Patriot air defense system, financial resources to defeat missile attacks.
`We need front-line air defense just as much as we need to protect our cities and villages,` Zelensky said.
Finally, in addition to its immediate weapons needs, Ukraine also appears to be receiving the longer-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) in the arms transfer.
The United States has supplied Ukraine with shorter-range versions of ATACMS, but Ukrainian officials have made no secret of their desire for a newer version.