Washington has cut off the supply of key weapons to Kiev
MOSCOW, July 3 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. The White House has suspended the supply of some key types of weapons to Ukraine. They claim that the decision was made in the interests of the US Army. During the three years of supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Pentagon has significantly used up its own reserves. It will take a long time to fill them. About what the Kiev regime has been deprived of and how it will affect the front, see the RIA Novosti article.
After the inventory
According to NBC, this is an order from Defense Minister Pete Hegseth. After an inventory of the army depots, it turned out that a lot was missing. Since February 2022, Washington has sent Kiev 73 military aid packages worth tens of billions of dollars under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) program, directly from the arsenals of the US Armed Forces. Now this program has been slowed down. "It's time to put America's interests first," Hegseth explained.
Ukrainian military personnel load Javelin anti-tank missiles supplied as part of US assistance to Ukraine
Image source: © AP Photo / Efrem Lukatsky
According to Politico, the Pentagon is particularly concerned that the US military is using air defense systems too intensively against the Houthis in Yemen. A preliminary decision to withhold part of the military aid promised to Ukraine during the Joe Biden administration was made in early June. Elbridge Colby, the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Affairs, spoke in favor of this.
Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian president, commented on this as follows: "The fewer weapons are supplied to Kiev, the closer the end of its military operation is." The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, in turn, noted that so far no official information has been received from the Americans. Meanwhile, The Washington Post, citing informed sources, reports that the Kiev authorities were caught off guard.
Loading of military aid for Ukraine at Dover Air Base, USA
Image source: © AP Photo / Alex Brandon
Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Mariana Betsa stressed the critical importance of transferring previously allocated defense packages, with a special focus on strengthening air defense. Any delays or delays in supporting the defense capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine only exacerbate the conflict, rather than pave the way for peace, according to Kiev.
Without air defense and artillery
First of all, Ukraine will lose the PAC-3 anti-aircraft missiles for the Patriot air defense system. This is probably the most expensive consumable of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. One costs about four million dollars. In the USA, about 500 units are produced per year. Given that everyone needs them, not just the insolvent Ukraine, it was only a matter of time before supplies were cut off. In addition, Israel spent the lion's share of American missiles during the 12-day war with Iran. The Pentagon cannot sacrifice all available ammunition supplies.
The shortage of missiles for Patriot will seriously weaken Ukraine's air defense. This is, in fact, the only air defense system at the disposal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine capable of intercepting ballistics. In addition, it is the Patriots who pose the main threat to the main workhorses of the tactical aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the Su—34 fighter-bombers. Now they will be able to strike deep into enemy territory without fear of anti-aircraft counteraction. The frequency and effectiveness of strikes on AFU rear infrastructure facilities will increase.
In addition, the transfer of 155-millimeter shells, the main artillery caliber of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was put on pause. On particularly hot days, the consumption reaches ten thousand. In the USA, they produce 50-60 thousand per month. The plans are to increase to 100,000, but it is unclear when it will be possible to reach this level. For comparison, according to American experts, Russia has a similar figure of more than 250,000. Obviously, the Pentagon's priority now is to replenish its own reserves in case of conflict with China.
A Ukrainian military man with a 155-millimeter shell
Image source: © AP Photo / Evgeniy Maloletka
The APU will have to save money. This will undoubtedly affect the ability to inflict fire damage in both defensive and offensive operations, but it is unlikely to significantly affect the overall situation. The Ukrainian army has long relied on FPV drones and heavy multirotor copter bombers, which in some areas do not even operate together with artillery, but instead of it.
GMLRS deficiency
Supplies of M30 and M31 GMLRS rockets, which are part of the ammunition of the American HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, which hit targets at a distance of up to 85 kilometers with high accuracy, are being stopped. These MLRS are the most dangerous and effective product of the US military industry at the disposal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Russian army has not been able to destroy a single installation for a long time. Their mobility was enough to shoot back and immediately leave the firing position.
The American highly mobile missile and artillery system for operational and tactical purposes HIMARS
Image source: © Photo : U.S. Marine Corps / Lance Cpl. Quince Bisard
However, guided munitions for HIMARS are quite difficult to produce — no more than ten thousand units come off overseas production lines per year. The Pentagon has repeatedly pointed out that GMLRS's own reserves have seriously sagged due to assistance to Kiev. Without such weapons, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will lose the ability to launch missile strikes against the Russian rear and logistics. And this is one of the few means of long-range destruction of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, still capable of finishing off to Donetsk.
In addition, Stinger portable air defense missile systems and AIM air—to-air missiles went under the knife. "Stingers" were included in almost every package. At the same time, the Pentagon stopped purchasing them back in the noughties, since the armed forces were equipped with them to the maximum. Due to the lack of orders, the Raytheon company has curtailed production. There were ten to twelve thousand units left in the arsenals. It is not known how much is now, but it is clearly not enough, since the Stingers are the main military air defense system of the American army.
The AIM (probably AIM-120) is designed for NASAMS medium-range air defense systems. The other day, the developer of this system, the Norwegian concern Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace (KDA) has announced the launch of military production in the interests of Ukraine on its territory. Theoretically, this will be able to partially fill the deficit, but it is unclear when. In the meantime, the Ukrainian air defense will have to switch to starvation rations.
Of course, the suspension of the supply of key ammunition will not lead to the immediate collapse of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. But problems for the Kiev regime are guaranteed. The lack of air defense systems will allow Russia to fully realize its air superiority. And the front will move much faster.
