For months, Ukraine's allies and in particular the United States have been supplying arms to kyiv. But after more than seven months of conflict, some stocks are dwindling.

For Ukraine, the difficulties of supplying Soviet or Russian weapons

Audio 01:17

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in kyiv in September 2022. AP - Genya Savilov

Text by: RFI Follow

3 mins

For months, Ukraine's allies and in particular the United States have been supplying arms to kyiv.

But after more than seven months of conflict, some stocks are dwindling.

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Modern weapons for some, but also old Soviet weapons and ammunition, still widely used by the Ukrainian army, which is just starting to run out.

Finland, but also other former satellites of the Soviet Union such as Bulgaria, Romania, have agreed to donate these weapons and ammunition.

But after more than seven months of conflict, Soviet or Russian stocks are dwindling and it is becoming very difficult to find them.

►Read also: War in Ukraine: kyiv receives its first anti-aircraft defense system

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has recently increased his travels to try to unblock this situation.

Travel to Cambodia, DRC, Rwanda, Mexico, Colombia or Peru.

The Secretary of State may try everything, at present, it becomes very complicated to recover stocks.

Many countries that have them do not want to take part in this conflict and get angry with Russia, like Algeria.

Others are simply allies of Moscow.

kyiv is now calling for anti-missile shields, but these are strategic weapons, as explained by Léo Périat, researcher at the French Institute for International Relations and armament specialist.

And the countries that have them cannot afford to give them away:

Unfortunately, Ukraine demands systems that are very capable, so countries are often quite reluctant to get rid of them, which is understandable, since they have to think about their own defence.

There are the S-300 in particular (but the countries) often consider these systems as too precious for them to be given without the possibility of replacement one for one before sometimes several years.

Faced with this deadlock situation, the United States announced on October 1 the lifting of the embargo against Cyprus.

Because this country has a large Soviet and Russian stock.

But this is a thorny issue, because Cyprus wants to maintain its defense systems for fear that Ankara will take advantage of it.

Moreover, Turkey is not in favor of such an operation which could accentuate the crisis between the two countries.

Numerous meetings have reportedly been held in recent months, but the discussions do not seem to indicate a favorable outcome.

They are still essential to Ukraine for the moment.

The Ukrainian army remains an army of Soviet descent, we will say, most of its calibers are still Soviet standards, these procedures remain Soviet, despite the process of modernization which is real and which has been well launched, by the aid from Westerners, notably Canadians and the British, since the annexation of Crimea.

So, these weapons are certainly essential, however it should also be noted that Ukraine is asking for other weapons that meet NATO standards.

Léo Périat, researcher at the French Institute of International Relations and arms specialist

Romain Lemaresquier

►Read also: Energy: Vladimir Putin charges Westerners and reaches out to the Turks

For Ukraine, the difficulties of supplying Soviet or Russian weapons

For Ukraine, the difficulties of supplying Soviet or Russian weapons

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