The real situation with weapons in Ukraine

Share

Contents

Are there enough weapons in Ukraine? What weapons are used in Ukraine? We will try to answer these questions in this article.

 

The opinion of experts from the Financial Times

Roman Olerchuk, Ben Hall, and Felicia Schwartz in their Financial Times article, “Kyiv is using up its ammunition at an alarming rate as it faces Moscow in a battle with dwindling supplies — Russian precision missiles on one side and Ukrainian interceptors on the other. Therefore, Ukraine calls on Western sponsors to provide more modern surface-to-air systems according to NATO standards.”

The article also states, “If hundreds of missiles are fired at us, we shoot down 70 to 80 percent. Do they expire or not? Of course,” – said Colonel Yuriy Ignat, the chief spokesman of the Ukrainian Air Force, referring to his side’s ammunition.

Major General Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, said last week that Russia was also depleting its stockpile of high-precision cruise missiles, an assessment shared by many Western analysts.

“They have enough for several more massive attacks,” – Budanov said, adding that replacements are being made slowly.

 

What does Valery Zaluzhnyi say?

In an interview with The Economist, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, stated: “There are enough soldiers in the Ukrainian Defense Forces, but Ukraine needs to increase

“We are already conducting it (mobilization) as it is. We have enough people, and I clearly see what I have. I have enough. I don’t need hundreds of thousands more,” – he said.

At the same time, the general emphasized that Ukraine needs military equipment and ammunition.

The real situation with weapons in Ukraine, The Ukrainian Review

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces added that Ukraine lacks artillery shells, which complicates the planning of major military operations. Therefore, Ukraine needs more military aid to withstand the war with Russia.

“I know that I can defeat this enemy. But I need resources. I need 300 tanks, 600-700 BMPs, 500 howitzers. Then, I think, it is quite possible to go to the front line on February 23. But I will not be able to do it with two brigades. I get what I get, but it’s less than what I need. It’s not yet time to turn to Ukrainian soldiers the way Mannerheim turned to Finnish soldiers. We can and should return much more territory,” – Valery Zaluzhny concluded.

 

Craig Hooper’s opinion

The founder and executive director of the consulting company Themistocles Advisory Group, Craig Hooper, writes in an article for Forbes:

“It’s no secret that Ukraine needs armored defense equipment of NATO standards. Speaking at the Pentagon in mid-September 2022, the visionary “senior military official” noted that Ukraine “may have to switch to NATO-compatible” armored vehicles, and that “tanks are absolutely on the table.”

He noted, “There is no easy way forward in Ukraine. There are simply not many options available for modern armored vehicles. Unless a powerful arms-exporting power like South Korea makes a surprise offer, only German or American tanks are available in sufficient numbers for Ukraine to start thinking about building a standardized “single model” tank force for the future.”

 

What weapons are the allies transferring to Ukraine?

 

Hand-held anti-tank missiles

Javelin

Missiles can hit both armored vehicles and even rotorcraft at a range of up to 2.5 km. The weight of the complex is more than 22 kg. These missile systems were developed and put into service by the USA in 1996. It was widely used during the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.

The real situation with weapons in Ukraine, The Ukrainian Review

FGM-148 Javelin in action

 

NLAW

The main purpose of the NLAW ATGM is to destroy armored vehicles at short distances with one shot. These missiles were developed by Great Britain in 2002. These missiles are in service not only with Great Britain but also with Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia ,and Malaysia. The ATGM range is 20-800 meters, and the weight is 12.5 kg.

The real situation with weapons in Ukraine, The Ukrainian Review

A Gunner carrying the New Light Anti-Tank Weapon (NLAW)

 

Matador

The Matador anti-tank missile complex is a joint development of the German company Dynamit Nobel Defense together with gunsmiths from Israel, Singapore, Great Britain, and Belgium since 1999. This is a 90-mm missile complex, the missile of which reaches a speed of 250 m/s and is capable of penetrating 500 mm of steel armor. Effectively hits targets up to 1.2 km.

 

Portable anti-aircraft missile complexes

Stinger

Another weapon that scares the Russian invaders is the famous Stinger MANPADS. They can destroy both air and ground targets and even cruise missiles.

The real situation with weapons in Ukraine, The Ukrainian Review

Launched FIM-92A Stinger missile

“Stingers” are disposable and have a digital signal processing system. In addition, the missile is equipped with a thermal homing head. The main characteristics and ideas of such a complex are the ease of aiming and high combat effectiveness. Any infantryman can quickly learn to aim correctly, attach an argon battery to cool the thermal homing head, and fire.

 

Piorun

This is the newest MANPADS in service with the Polish army, which was developed by the MESKO company. It allows you to effectively send airplanes, helicopters and other aerial targets, which are at a distance of up to 6.5 km and at an altitude of up to 4 km, on their last journey.

 

Starstreak

StarStreak – is on the border of gradation between a portable anti-aircraft missile system and a close-range air defense system. Its range is approximately 7 km in height and 7 km in range. The main feature of this complex is that instead of the traditional high-explosive warhead, three separate sub-munitions are used – a dart.

 

Drones

Bayraktar

A strike operational-tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is being developed in Turkey. Able to accelerate to 200 km per hour and climb to a height of more than 8 km. “Bayraktar” drops aerial bombs and guided anti-tank missiles. At the same time, the drone can be in flight during the day.

The real situation with weapons in Ukraine, The Ukrainian Review

With the participation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the festive Parade of Troops was held in the center of the capital on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence

 

Switchblade

A kamikaze drone is a type of UAV with an integrated warhead that combines the advantages of a drone and an aerial bomb. “Barrage munition” stays in the air in a certain area in standby mode for a certain time and, when the opportunity arises, after receiving the operator’s command, attacks the target or performs another task provided by the algorithm.

 

MRLS

HIMARS

HIMARS M142 (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is a highly mobile artillery rocket fire system. It is considered more mobile than the M270 MLRS, another MLRS in US service because it is based on a 6-wheel truck rather than a tracked base.

The real situation with weapons in Ukraine, The Ukrainian Review

HIMARS in action

The system fires 227mm GPS-guided missiles and fires up to 6 missiles at a time or a single ATACMS ballistic missile. Depending on the modification, it can hit targets at a distance of up to 300 kilometers.

 

MLRS M270

The M270 MLRS is a reactive salvo fire system on the tracked base of the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle manufactured by the Vought company, designed for conducting salvo fire at a distance of 30 km to 300 km.

 

RM-70 Vampire

The RM-70 Vampire is a 122 mm rocket launcher. In 1972, it replaced the outdated RSZV RM-51 with a range of more than six kilometers in the Czech army. In fact, the Vampire is a copy of the Soviet BM-21 Grad, so it was easy for Ukrainian soldiers to master it.

 

Heavy air defense equipment

Gepard anti-aircraft tank

German anti-aircraft tank Gepard is a self-propelled installation designed to cover ground troops and destroy air targets. The turret, which can rotate 360 degrees, is equipped with two 35 mm guns, a 7.62 mm MG-3 machine gun, and two radars – search and tracking.

S-300 anti-aircraft missile complex

The S-300 is a Soviet-made medium-range anti-aircraft missile system.

Serial production of the system under the index S-300PT was started in 1975. In 1978, the tests of the system were completed, and in 1979, the first S-300 regiment was put on combat duty.

This system is designed to combat strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise, operational-tactical and ballistic missiles at altitudes from 25 m to 27 km and distances up to 100 km in conditions of intensive radio countermeasures.

 

Patriot

The Patriot air defense system was developed 60 years ago (development began in 1963 – ed.), and was put into service 40 years ago. In principle, it is the same age as the Soviet S-300 and Buk air defense systems, which are in service with the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The real situation with weapons in Ukraine, The Ukrainian Review

The Patriot system is in service with the US Army

The Patriot air defense system was tested during a number of military conflicts, in particular during the wars in the Persian Gulf – it is in service with many countries, not only NATO members, but also Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Japan, Israel, and South Korea. That is, it is a battle-tested system.

 

British intelligence statement

British intelligence reports that “on December 21, President Putin was presented with plans to increase the Russian army by approximately 30% to 1.5 million people. It is not known when this level will be reached.”

That is why we need a lot of weapons for Ukraine now. If the second wave of mobilization begins in the Russian Federation, the Armed Forces without the help of the West will cause great losses.