The United States will hand over 5 Mi-17 helicopters to Ukraine, deployed the day before by US Secretary of State Blinken. Western countries say that the threat of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is real – let Kyiv say the opposite. While some are actively calling on Russia to de-escalate and providing Ukraine with summer weapons or military equipment, others are limited to calls to normalize the situation. Who and what weapons gave Ukraine and it is very effective for confronting Russia – in the material of the Public.

USA

According to the American side, since 2014 the United States has provided more than $ 2.7 billion in safe assistance to Ukraine. Of these, $ 650 million was approved in 2021, including an emergency $ 200 million package created in Kyiv in 202. As of now, this is about 250 tons of weapons and order.

Among the weapons provided by the United States to Ukraine, it is worth noting Javelin anti-tank missile systems and shells. By calculations By the end of 2021, Radio Svoboda Kyiv has received almost 80 launchers and 540 missiles. As for this, it concerns only January 25 of Ukraine received from the United States 276 missiles for Javelin.

“The principle of application of this system is as simple as possible. The soldier aimed at the target, the on-board computer recorded this target and its movement, tried to shoot. The network has a video where the military uses Javelin against a Russian T-72 tank. Everything burns out there. The rocket reaches itself without the participation of a soldier. And the projectile itself either explodes over the target, or crashes into them and destroys“, – explains Igor Koziy to the Public Military Expert.

U.S. military aid includes ammunition, small arms and disposable M141 BDM grenade launchers (SMAW-D; more than 800 were brought from the last batch on January 25). Their warheads are able to hit the target at a distance of one kilometer and pierce a concrete wall up to 20 centimeters thick or 2-centimeter armor. In general, SMAW-D is similar to the RPG-7 available in the Ukrainian army, comments Ihor Koziy.

Quite the US has already stated that are planning to hand over to Ukraine air defense systems (which are still unknown) and five Mi-17 helicopters purchased for the military in Afghanistan.

United Kingdom

London became the first to provide Ukraine with summer weapons in January 2022. In general, for data On the British side, about 2,000 NLAW anti-tank missile systems and 30 military instructors arrived in Kyiv to teach Ukrainian colleagues how to handle these weapons.

“NLAW has a convenient system of use – shot, forgot. You do not need to lead the object, keep the mark constantly on target, in fact, to blame yourself that the enemy will destroy you. This weapon explodes over the tank, over the object. The principle is probably the same as in vacuum bombs or something. And after hitting everything burns out, even the engine“, – Igor Koziy comments to the Public.

The Minister of Defense of the United Kingdom Ben Wallace has already stated the possibility of providing additional military assistance to Ukraine if necessary.

“What we get is an armored weapon that strengthens our ability to fight and destroy armored targets. The amount of counting we get – both Javelin and British anti-tank weapons – allows us to become a weapon of deterrence for the Russian Federation.“- said the chairman of the Ukrainian military center, military expert Taras Chmut.

Baltic countries

After the United States granted permission to the Baltic states to export American weapons to Ukraine, the defense ministries of the three countries confirmed the provision of weapons. Lithuania and Latvia will provide Kyiv with Stinger portable anti-aircraft missile systems, and Estonia will provide shells for Javelin anti-tank systems. Everything is free of charge.

Earlier, in October 2021, Lithuania ordered to provide Ukraine with 490 bulletproof vests and ballistic belts. The first batch of this military aid arrived in December.

This is the Estonian Defense Ministry in December 2021 stated about the intention to hand over to Ukraine 122-millimeter howitzers with ammunition to them (the number was not specified). But later it became knownthat the supply of weapons to Kyiv is allegedly blocked by Germany.

Germany

Official Berlin does not say that it opposes the provision of defense weapons to Ukraine. This can be explained both by historical factors (Germany’s efforts not to interfere in military conflicts abroad) and by its unwillingness to escalate between Kyiv and Moscow. Moreover, some German positions may speak publicly about the prospects of Ukraine’s membership in NATO or the return of the Russian-occupied Crimea.

Former German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht statementthat Berlin will hand over one field hospital to Ukraine. But then it turned out that the German side did not pay the cost of construction of the facility (5.3 million euros), and excites him and adds to Ukraine Estonia. Finally, on January 26, Lambrecht announced the transfer of 5,000 protective helmets to Kyiv.

Christine Lambrecht. Photo: Getty Images

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht before the government, January 2022

Other countries

Canada, probably, at the end of January or the beginning of February it should approve the provision of weapons to Ukraine for the Territorial Defense Forces – small arms, bulletproof vests, protective defenses (their exact number is unknown).

Czech Republic also confirmed that, if necessary, it will provide Kyiv with 152-millimeter artillery ammunition and send its troops to Ukrainian territory. And on January 26, such a decision was made by the Czech government.

And the Minister of Defense Of the Netherlands Vopke Hekstra confirmedthat the country is ready to consider Ukraine’s request for military weapons through NATO. But he reminded that the Netherlands had previously blocked such a request together with Germany, but “the context has changed.”

Collage: Public

Is Ukraine receiving enough military assistance?

As noted in conversations with the Joint Military Expert Igor Kozi, all samples of weapons received by Ukraine in advance are aimed at combating enemy armored vehicles, which is especially true if the Russian invasion does happen:

“These can be cars in the rear, “Kamaz” of various modifications, landing armored personnel carriers, landing combat vehicles, tanks – all this can be. It is clear that to fight them all these weapons are a classic option“.

According to the expert, the main advantage of the weapons provided to Ukraine is the reduction of casualties among servicemen and increasing the efficiency of the army in general.

“It is important to say what are the shortcomings of this weapon (Javelin and NLAW – eds.). First, because these weapons were not actually used in combat. Secondly, there is nothing more modern“, – he adds.

And according to military expert Taras Chmut, the weapons received for Ukraine are few. “You also need to understand that any weapon may not work. This is normal. This was the case both in the United States and in Ukraine“, – say Chmut Public.

Photo: Getty Images

Ukrainian military in the village of Sands, Donetsk region, January 2022

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