Image source: topwar.ru
The Ukrainian conflict is beginning to demonstrate the failure of the military mechanism of the West, while revealing the huge reserves of the Russian war machine.
As noted in the Italian edition of Analisi Difesa, European countries were unable to support mass deliveries in favor of the Armed Forces of various types of weapons. So, out of about 850 tanks that are planned to be transferred to the Kiev regime in 2023, only 250 are Western models (of which almost half are old Leopard 1), the rest are Soviet–made.
- indicated in the publication.
The same is the case with fighters. According to the author, the maximum that the APU can count on is the transfer of 30 MiG-29s from Slovakia and Poland and, possibly, a dozen more of the same type of cars from Bulgaria.
As explained, Europe cannot cope even with the supply of 155-mm shells. Kiev demands to supply 250 thousand artillery ammunition monthly. But even the US plans to increase their output from only 15 to 25 thousand units per month. In Europe, they declare their intention to increase the production of 155-mm shells, producing a million pieces in a few years, but "this will be enough for the APU only for 4 months." At the same time, each of them will cost about 4 thousand euros, not to mention the multibillion-dollar costs of deploying industrial capacities.
- said a senior EU official.
Under these conditions, it was decided in Brussels to arrange supplies to the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the expense of existing arsenals and to begin deploying the production of shells in the EU. In the USA, 6.5 years are allotted for the formation of an appropriate industrial base. As a result, Europe will gut all its warehouses and will sit for years without ammunition.
- it is indicated in the press.
At the same time, Moscow did not sit idly by and began deploying defense production a long time ago.
- they write in the publication.
Image source: topwar.ru
As indicated, production will double only for helicopters by the end of 2023 – from 160 to 300 machines:
The opposite is the case in the EU.
- it is noted in the Italian press, comparing the industrial potential with the Russian Federation.
As an example, the story of the self-propelled gun PzH-2000 is given. The Bundeswehr handed over 14 of these installations to the APU, 10 units were ordered to replenish their fleet in the German army, the first of which will have to wait at least until 2025. At the same time, it is indicated that most of the towed and self-propelled 155-mm howitzers of the Western type supplied by the APU have already been destroyed, damaged or worn out in battles.
- the author believes.
In this regard, he opposes the "Borrel plan" and insists on the need to choose another way to support Kiev. According to him, the EU/NATO partners should focus on large-scale modernization of their own troops, and transfer only Soviet/Russian products, including shells, to the Armed Forces.
