Ukraine has exhausted its stockpile of Soviet and Russian-designed weapons, US military sources report.
From the start of the conflict, Westerners mobilized to support kyiv, which demanded arms and ammunition.
But fearing that their cutting-edge weapons would fall into the hands of the Russian military, they first turned to former Soviet bloc countries, which still had Soviet-standard ammunition, to replace what Ukrainian forces were firing at. the Russian army.
Furthermore, as Ukraine was once part of the Soviet Union, its defense industry is built around Soviet and Russian standard equipment.
Small arms, tanks, howitzers and other weapons that are not interchangeable with those of western neighbors.
But since even these stocks are exhausted, the Ukraine has therefore become entirely dependent on Western armaments.
Continuous, but dripping, flow of ammunition
This is why the United States and the other NATO allies have decided to ignore the risks of the conflict spreading or technological leaks.
Washington began handing over to Ukraine heavy equipment such as Howitzer howitzers at first, then advanced equipment such as Himars rocket launchers, high-precision artillery pieces with a range greater than those of the Russian army.
The allies are trying to coordinate their military assistance to kyiv, and to synchronize it so that the Ukrainian forces receive a "continuous flow of ammunition", but also of spare parts and light weapons, another American military official explained .
And if Western weaponry seems to be trickling into Ukraine, it's because the allies want to make sure kyiv is able to absorb it safely and limit the risk of bombing its ammunition stocks.
The United States therefore sends its military assistance in installments.
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