US has supplied over 100 towed howitizers plus additional Self Propelled howitizers. Other nations such as France and Poland have supplied more.
This is the june 1st tranche: * Four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS, and ammunition: ~$700 million.* Five counter-artillery radars;
Two air surveillance radars;
1,000 Javelins and 50 Command Launch Units;
6,000 antiarmor weapons;
15,000 rounds of 155 mm artillery;
Four Mi-17 helicopters;
15 tactical vehicles;
Spare parts and equipment.
The latest [June 15th] isn’t completely broken down yet:
The Pentagon said that the latest tranche of weapons for Ukraine is valued at $350 million and includes 18 155 mm howitzers, 36,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition,18 tactical vehicles to tow 155 mm howitzers, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HMARS, as well as four tactical vehicles to recover equipment and spare parts.
The Pentagon will also provide two Harpoon coastal defense systems, thousands of secure radios, night vision and thermal devices as well as funding for training and maintenance support. That aid is collectively valued at $650 million.
Absolutely disgusting reported treatment of Ukrainian citizens by Russian soldiers who interrogate and beat men if they feel they have been supportive of the Ukrainian efforts to repel them. And it seems to have been well coordinated or planned.
Appears America is not releasing the rocket-propelled gliding Small Diameter Bomb to Ukraine either, which would have had a 93-mile range and been compatible with HIMARS. The sight of those things disintegrating Russians would have been nice, alas…
Will they be “a weakened Ukraine” in a year or two? Give NATO a couple of years to train and re-equip Ukraine, and Russia will be ground up even worse the next time. The only way this plan ends badly for Ukraine is if NATO chickens out and abandons them.
The US does, the rest of NATO doesn’t. Even if HypotheticalTrump decides to screw Ukraine, Ukraine will still be better off with all of Europe supplying arms and training.
The oft repeated plea is “We need stuff RIGHT NOW! And lots of it”. What is the main bottleneck in sending them howitzers, ammunition and other arms? Is it lack of supply, simple logistics or foot dragging by U.S./NATO? Are “we” really doing our best to get weapons to the field? As this has turned into a long-range artillery dual, I’d think there’s be an urgency to put them on level (at least) ground regarding big guns/missiles. Do NATO weapons not have longer range than Russian’s? I really don’t know and am not up on the capabilities of the various systems. If you can fire from a greater distance without fear of counter-battery fire, that’s a huge advantage.
I imagine a lot of it is logistics. You don’t want all those arms blown up on a train or truck convoy somewhere in Western Ukraine. Also - what nobody wants to admit - a lot of those arms (rifles, small rockets, mortars, etc.) are being prepositioned well west of the frontlines in case the Russians break through and the Ukrainians have to transition to a war of insurgency.
And for Western-specific systems, add in a couple weeks or so to train the first batch of Ukrainians, who will then train more Ukrainians on how to use the system.
I hope Zelensky never gets into a high stakes poker game. Maybe someone told him Macron has monkeypox?
I normally wouldn’t post a daily mail link. But Zelensky’s body language is unmistakable. I’m surprised a experienced actor couldn’t conceal his emotions.
Photo gallery with various pictures from todays NATO conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Zelensky, remember, was an actor, and knows when the cameras are rolling. There’s some pretty hilarious photos of him with a bunch of Republican senators who flew out for a photo op with the hero of the hour. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/14/ukraine-mcconnell-gop-visit-zelensky/. He looks like he’s wishing he could punch them all in the face.
I know Macron seems to be playing both sides. He’s supporting NATO but also trying stay friendly with Russia.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is similar. I think he may be shifting more towards Ukraine. Visiting the country and seeing the damage is a important step. Germany is still dependent on Russian gas.
That’s possible. Volodymyr Zelensky may approach his diplomatic job differently.
Politicians usually glad-hand and smile regardless of their personal feelings. It’s one reason why politicians appear artifical. You never know their real feelings.
