Ukraine received the first M270 multiple launch rocket systems from the UK
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine announced the receipt of the first M270 multiple launch rocket systems from the UK. The head of the department, Alexey Reznikov, clarified that three M270 MLRS have already been delivered to the country and more will arrive. In Kiev, they expressed hope that they would receive missiles with a range of 300 km from partners. The Ukrainian military department also reported that in the current conditions it spends its annual budget for a month and cannot yet predict its expenses next year.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that the first batch of M270 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) produced by the United States transferred by London has arrived in Ukraine.
In an interview with the BBC Ukrainian service, the minister clarified that three M270 MLRS have already been delivered to Kiev and more will be coming.
In June, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace reported that London would supply Kiev with an American-made M270 MLRS with missiles capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 80 km.
Alexey Sakantsev, a reserve officer of the missile forces and artillery, a combat veteran, said in an interview with TASS that it was "vital for the Russian military to destroy" the M270 and M142 HIMARS MLRS.
"Of all the possible weapons supplied by the collective West, the M270 and M142 HIMARS MLRS are the most dangerous and capable of influencing the course of hostilities more than all other weapons available to the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the expert believes.
According to him, such MLRS allow hitting targets not only near the front line, but also behind enemy lines. There are about 20 types of ammunition for MLRS M270. Depending on the type used, the target range ranges from 32 to 500 km.
Ukraine is waiting for longer-range missiles
Kiev expects the delivery of missiles for the HIMARS MLRS with a range of 300 km, which the Ukrainian army should send from the United States, writes the Financial Times. According to the Ukrainian Defense Minister, HIMARS has already allowed Ukraine to "change the course of the conflict."
"The US did not want to send HIMARS, which have a range of 80 km, and GPS-guided ammunition, fearing that such a step could lead to an escalation of the war. Reznikov said that he is sure that the partners will send more, including a version with a range of 300 km," the FT points out.
According to Reznikov, Kiev used MLRS to strike at Russian ammunition depots and military bases.
Washington previously reported that it would provide $400 million in military assistance to Ukraine, and the new aid package will include, among other things, four HIMARS MLRS and shells for them.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that two HIMARS installations were destroyed by missiles of the Russian Armed Forces. The Pentagon denied the statements of the Ministry of Defense about the destruction of MLRS.
Spend the annual budget for the month
Reznikov also said that the annual budget of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in a military conflict is spent in one month.
He clarified that there are two main items of expenditure.
"The first [line of expenses] is monetary support for the military and, unfortunately, payments for injury or loss of a breadwinner. The second is for armament. Not all material and technical support comes to us for free, I still buy a lot of things," Reznikov explained.
He said that it is not yet known what budget the Ministry of Defense will request for next year.
"This is a complicated story, because I will not ask from the GDP. I will give a real need. We will sit down with Finance Minister Sergei Marchenko and Prime Minister Denis Shmigal and think about what to do about it. Because in fact, money is a very difficult challenge," the minister shared.
Previously, Ukraine allocated about 5% of its GDP for security and defense.
HIMARS ended up in Russia
Telegram channel "Military Commanders of the Russian Spring", referring to personal sources, stated that the American MLRS HIMARS appeared at the disposal of the Russian military.
"It is not fully known whether the HIMARS MLRS installation was captured in battle or was sold by the corrupt Ukrainian military, but at the moment the installation is already in Russia," the Telegram channel writes and claims that a serviceable MLRS can become a "sensitive loss" for Washington.
"The study of the installation by our gunsmiths can not only apply American technologies in their developments, but will also allow us to develop ways to counter them," the authors of the channel note.
Alice Andreeva
