The paper, citing an unnamed official in Kiev, claims that not one of the 20 howitzers supplied earlier this 12 months had been as much as par
A number of the army {hardware} given to Ukraine by Italy earlier this 12 months was not combat-ready, the Monetary Instances reported on Saturday. Earlier this week, a high adviser to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky revealed that the nation wants much more weapons to drag off a profitable counteroffensive.
The FT report quoted an nameless adviser to Ukraine’s Protection Ministry as saying that not one of the “20 self-propelled howitzers Italy supplied to Ukraine earlier this 12 months was battle prepared.”
The outlet additionally famous that Kiev’s makes an attempt to steer the US to provide it with longer-range missiles and F-16 fighter jets have thus far been in useless.
In response to the report, if the Ukrainian counteroffensive fails to dwell as much as expectations within the West, critics could also be emboldened within the US and elsewhere, questioning the feasibility of additional army assist. Western governments might ultimately determine to pressure Kiev to just accept a negotiated settlement, the Instances stated.
The newspaper concluded that securing main territorial good points in opposition to the Russian forces would seemingly be a tall order for Kiev.
On Wednesday, President Zelensky’s aide, Mikhail Podoliak, insisted that Ukraine nonetheless wants extra weaponry and tools, contradicting the US commander of NATO forces in Europe, Common Christopher Cavoli, who claimed earlier than the Home Armed Companies Committee that Kiev’s backers had already delivered 98% of the fight autos promised to Ukraine.
Final week, Overseas Coverage journal reported that the German-made Leopard tanks given to Ukraine by eight nations would seemingly pose a logistical problem to Kiev’s army. The {hardware} reportedly makes use of a variety of various munitions, which means Ukraine wouldn’t be capable of procure the ammunition in bulk.
The Abrams tanks which Washington pledged to offer Kiev earlier this 12 months will seemingly take months to really arrive on the battlefield.
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