Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said Ukraine had received about 200 155-caliber howitzers in the past month and a half. The state is now negotiating to provide it with modern tanks and aircraft.
Reznikov also announced that Ukraine would also have more anti-ship systems. The minister told the Military Television of Ukraine about this.
In particular, he explained how difficult it is to get, for example, howitzers, because they must come with a number of necessary equipment.
“When we say that we need help, this is not just one type of weapon, but it must be assembled for use as efficiently as possible. That is, if we are talking about 18 155-caliber howitzers, this means that this is one division, Appropriate technical systems and a vehicle that provides it, as well as counter-battery radars, unmanned aerial vehicles that provide guidance, reconnaissance and fire adjustment, are sent to him," the head of the Defense Ministry said.
He added that the same applies to the division of 18 units of Polish Krab howitzers that Ukraine received.
Reznikov also explained why delivering certain weapons and equipment to Ukraine from other countries takes a long time and is so expensive.
“We get a lot of things from the armed forces or warehouses that are subject to reactivation and restoration because they cannot go into battle right away. Plus, we need to teach our guys and finance instructors. And this is 2-3 weeks of preparation, their living at the training ground, even just transporting it across the ocean and paying for the plane is hundreds, and hundreds of thousands of dollars for just one flight. All this is also included in these funds allocated to Ukraine as defense assistance," the minister said.
According to him, Ukraine has about 200 155-caliber howitzers received over the past month and a half. These howitzers make a difference on the battlefield as they are more accurate and effective.
"Against such an unlimited resource (like the Russians have) you can only oppose effective weapons with the doctrine of a different approach to use - point destruction. Therefore, when it comes to 18 howitzers or 4 HIMARS installations, this means that this is a precision weapon capable of inflicting the straight defeat on the right targets," Reznikov said.
He also emphasized that weapons would never be enough until victory came.
"The Panzerhaubitze 2000 has arrived. This happened, this is a tectonic shift. And this means that tomorrow there will be Gepard and other options for assistance. I can say that the ability of our fleet to protect our interests in the Black Sea, and existing ship systems will increase. And there will be more additional reinforcements. There will be more MLRS systems and missiles for them," the head of the Defense Ministry announced.
"Cooperation and interaction will be strengthened based on intelligence data. Because thanks to online information, we know … and even the warning system that allows our civilians to go to bomb shelters is also thanks to our partners and our air defense system. We know about launching missiles by the Russians when they are determined to hit another target," Reznikov said.
"There are things that have not yet been resolved. These are tanks and aircraft. Modern, it is understood. We continue to discuss this issue with partners to convince us that we also need this. A political decision on the provision of modern tanks and aircraft has not yet been made," the minister remarked.
In this context, he recalled how he was told in the United States last year that Ukraine couldn't receive the Stinger.
