“It won’t radically change the situation”: why did the Pentagon announce the details of the supply of American weapons to Ukraine

The Pentagon reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are currently using 85 M-777 howitzers, which were supplied by the United States.

This was stated during a briefing by a senior representative of the US Department of Defense.

“Regarding what has already been included in the last few packages of presidential appropriations for Ukraine: out of the 108 M-777 howitzers promised in the last three aid packages, 85 are in service with the Ukrainian military, providing the ability to fire at a long distance.

We know that out of 209,000 155-mm shells promised to Ukraine, 91% (actually 190,000 units) were handed over to the Ukrainian military and are in their possession, ”the US Department of Defense spokesman reported.

According to him, nine out of 11 Mi-17 helicopters, which were planned to be transferred to Kyiv, were also sent to Ukraine.

“We believe that the last two will arrive either at the end of this month or at the very beginning of June,” the official said.

In addition, he said that 73% of the Switchblade 300 loitering ammunition out of the planned amount has also been transferred to the Ukrainian side.

“I think it's 220 rounds — that's the number we were talking about during our last conversation.

We are still looking into finding suppliers for the rest and delivering it there, ”the Pentagon spokesman added.

According to him, Ukraine allegedly has no problems with replenishment of supplies: the material and technical means "still come to the disposal of the units on the front line."

“And again, they (APU.

) themselves determine how, when and where to deploy all this, but, as far as we know from their information, they still have the ability to transfer weapons to their advanced units,” the official said.

As the Pentagon press service reported earlier, more and more military aid from the United States and its allies arrives in Ukraine every day: “from armored personnel carriers and rations to medicines, anti-artillery radars and much more.”

At the same time, according to CNN, which cites its sources in the administration, as early as next week Washington may announce new deliveries of weapons to Ukraine, including multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS).

In turn, Moscow previously voiced its position related to the possibility of Western countries supplying Ukraine with heavy weapons that are potentially capable of delivering strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation.

• Deliveries of American weapons to Ukraine

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• © Sergei SUPINSKY

“We warned the West in the most serious way that they are already, in fact, waging a proxy war with the Russian Federation with the hands, bodies, brains of Ukrainian neo-Nazis, but this will be a serious step towards an unacceptable escalation.

I hope that sane minds in the West (there are still a few of them left) understand this, ”said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with RT Arabic.

"Do not have a significant impact"

As Aleksey Podberyozkin, director of the MGIMO Center for Military-Political Studies, noted, the Pentagon spoke in detail about their arms supplies to Ukraine, but did not say how many of the transferred weapons had already been destroyed by the Russian Armed Forces.

“According to the reports of the Russian Ministry of Defense, such weapons are eliminated in large numbers almost every day.

So, despite all the rantings of the American side, it can be stated that their deliveries do not have a significant impact on the course of the Russian special operation in Ukraine, ”the analyst said in an interview with RT.

Moreover, the Russian Armed Forces complicated the delivery of Western weapons to Kyiv by rail, destroying, among other things, a number of railway lines, as well as traction power substations, Podberyozkin noted.

“Therefore, for example, the same M-777 howitzers, as a rule, are transported simply along highways under the cover of civilian cargo.

This is not the case when mass importation is possible.

And such car deliveries take a long time.

In addition, in places of their concentration, mass shelling with high-precision weapons is possible.

In addition, these weapons are also successfully destroyed on the battlefield by the Russian side,” the expert stated.

According to Podberyozkin, the transfer of American weapons to Kyiv, both now and in the future, "will not radically change the situation in Ukraine."

“The fact is that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have many problems in the operation of Western weapons, including the US M-777 howitzers: to ensure their effective operation, huge logistical efforts are required.

For example, there are difficulties with the delivery of shells, which the Armed Forces of Ukraine already lack,” the analyst said.

In turn, military expert Yuri Knutov noted that the Pentagon, reporting on the nuances of the main supply of American weapons to Ukraine, wants to demonstrate that Kyiv, despite its ongoing requests for the supply of heavy weapons, receives it in full.

“The Pentagon is trying to demonstrate that arms deliveries are underway, they are massive and large, and heavy modern artillery and weapons are already arriving in Ukraine on a fairly large scale,” the analyst said in an interview with RT.

At the same time, Knutov believes that Washington’s attempts to emphasize its leading role in the supply of weapons to Kyiv are also connected with the fact that in the West “a split is already emerging on how they should proceed further on the Ukrainian issue.”

“Some countries are cautiously in favor of negotiations with Russia.

Even in the US, the hopelessness of the situation is already understood, and politicians such as US ex-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger are calling for concessions.

However, the administration of Joe Biden and his supporters in the EU still intend to wage war to the last Ukrainian, thus hoping to weaken Russia.

At the same time, the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, was forced to admit that the military stocks of the European Union were exhausted due to the supply of weapons to Ukraine, ”the expert noted.

• Symbols of NATO

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• © Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto

However, as Knutov recalled, the United States recently approved additional appropriations to increase arms supplies to Kyiv. 

“However, many of these weapons may not reach the Ukrainian side - the Russian Armed Forces regularly destroy weapons arriving on the territory of Ukraine.

For example, the Russian military recently liquidated an entire warehouse of shells for M-777 howitzers, the transfer of which the Pentagon says.

In addition, Kyiv has problems with the M-777s themselves: in particular, after a few dozen shots, they must definitely take a break so that the barrel does not deform, ”the analyst explained.

According to Knutov's forecasts, over time, the percentage of disabled units of such Western military equipment will only increase due to the fact that there are practically no specialists in Ukraine who can maintain and repair such weapons.

“Equipment and weapons will break down en masse, and there will be no one to fix it,” the expert explained.

At the same time, Knutov believes that the United States will not dare to directly supply Ukraine with its HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, which are reported by Western media.

However, Washington will continue not only to supply cheaper and simpler weapons to Ukraine, but also to transfer its troops and military equipment to Europe. 

Recall that on May 26, during a Senate hearing, US Army General Christopher Cavoli told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine, the US military quickly deployed significant contingents in the European Command zone, including the headquarters of the army corps, an armored brigade, an airborne corps headquarters, an aircraft carrier strike group, fifth-generation fighters, and additional destroyers.

“American troops in Europe are used for psychological pressure on Europeans.

In countries where there were almost no American soldiers, military units are now being deployed.

Of course, this intimidates the population and politicians.

In fact, this is a hidden secondary occupation of Europe, the purpose of which is to keep it under control so that the Europeans do not take it into their heads to show their will and not follow the course of Washington.

Naturally, under such conditions, practically no one in the EU opposes the supply of American weapons to Ukraine through the territories of European countries, ”concluded Knutov.