MOSCOW, May 17 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. Ukraine is ready to launch a counteroffensive. At least, that's what they say in the West. The speaker of the US Army Command in Europe and Africa, Colonel Martin O'Donnell, said that the AFU has already received about 600 different types of weapons. About the most dangerous — in the material of RIA Novosti.
Still dangerous
In fifteen months, the Russian army has managed to adapt to Western weapons. NATO armored personnel carriers burn from RPG hits in the same way as the Soviet ones, the Javelin missile is easy to deceive, the Strelkovka is very capricious and unaccustomed to dirt. Even the vaunted MLRS HIMARS today, according to the military, cause much less damage than six months ago.
American highly mobile rocket and artillery system for operational and tactical purposes HIMARS Image Source: © Photo : U.S. Marine Corps / Cpl. Ujian Gosun
The other day, the American edition of Military Watch Magazine, citing sources in the Pentagon, reported that Russia is increasingly blocking these missile systems by means of electronic warfare. Experts do not know exactly how, but the effectiveness of GMLRS guided missiles has declined sharply in recent weeks — air defense successfully shoots them down in the air.
Nevertheless, it is a formidable, long-range and accurate weapon. Having received it last summer, the AFU were able to hit the rear of the Russian army without being exposed to return fire.
It is known about the supply of about 30 HIMARS installations and about 15 tracked MLRS, not counting MLRS of other NATO countries.
In addition, the North Atlantic Alliance sent Kiev 17 basic types of barrel artillery of caliber from 105 to 155 millimeters — 450-500 guns, both towed and self-propelled.
Ukrainian military with M777 howitzer. January 9, 2023 Image Source: © AP Photo / LIBKOS
Basically, Western "trunks" are used at the front — the Soviet reserves of the APU have practically dried up. Several dozen M-777s were destroyed. However, as the military notes, with the support of unmanned aircraft, these artillery systems built into the reconnaissance and strike contour pose a great threat.
A British gift
Long-range weapons are even more dangerous. The UK has transferred tactical Storm Shadow cruise missiles with a range of up to 500 kilometers to Ukraine. The APU immediately hit Lugansk, which was considered a rear city. It hasn't "flown" there for a very long time.
Storm Shadow Rocket Image Source: CC BY-SA 3.0 / Rept0n1x /
The blows were repeated. The other day, the Ministry of Defense announced the first interception of a British missile.
Air defense is being urgently rebuilt. A feature of Storm Shadow is an extremely low flight profile, with an envelope of the terrain. Missiles go to the target at extremely low altitudes, inaccessible to long-range anti-aircraft missile systems. It is possible to intercept the "storm shadow" only at the last part of the trajectory, when it is gaining altitude before the attack.
The rocket is launched from an airplane and then acts independently — the flight task is loaded in advance. Each munition is equipped with a 450-kilogram penetrating warhead. The targets are command posts, control and communication points, airfields, ports and power plants, ammunition storage sites, ships and submarines in ports, bridges and other facilities.
It is unlikely that London gave Kiev very much. The royal army has only about a thousand of these missiles. However, what the APU got will create a lot of problems.
The main weapon
Kiev places special hopes in the announced counteroffensive on Western armored vehicles. NATO countries have transferred the main battle tanks of seven basic types.
Ukrainian tanks in Donetsk region Image Source: © AP Photo / Francisco Seco
For the most part, these are different versions of the T-72, but there are German and British models. The APU has already received 600 tanks, about 200 more are waiting until the end of the year. Western vehicles have not yet been seen on the battlefield, but there are not so many of them and, perhaps, they will not risk them. They will limit themselves to firing from long distances.
In addition, the Kiev regime has about 600 infantry fighting vehicles of various types, as well as up to 1300 armored personnel carriers and armored vehicles. American Bradleys, German Marders, and French light wheeled tanks have not yet appeared in the combat zone either.
However, such a motley fleet of military equipment can turn into serious problems for the AFU. Each tank or BMP needs its own set of spare parts and service specialists. With the beginning of the offensive, the rear services will turn into a logistical hell.
And somehow it is necessary to solve the issue with Russian aviation. The main enemy of ground vehicles is not an ATGM, RPG or other tank, but an attack helicopter with guided missile weapons.
Ukrainian and Polish soldiers on a Leopard 2 tank during exercises at a military base in Świętoszów, Poland Image Source: © AP Photo / Michal Dyjuk
Armored vehicles on the offensive are forced to operate outside the umbrella of a powerful air defense facility. To reduce the threat from the air, the AFU will have to pull up anti-aircraft missile systems closer to the front line, and this will put them at risk.
On the other hand, many types of weapons provided are unknown to the general public. And the APU receives intelligence from NATO live, actively uses reconnaissance and shock circuits, satellites, high-speed Internet, secure digital communications. And this in modern warfare may be more important than any military equipment.