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Media Estimate What Weapons Ukraine Gets from the World

Illustrative photo
Illustrative photo

More than 30 countries have been given to Ukraine with huge amounts of military equipment, but heavy weaponry has been slow to arrive

According to the BBC, the White House said that the US has provided $6.3bn (£5.2bn) in security assistance to Ukraine since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.

The UK says it has provided $1.6bn (£1.3bn), with a further $1.2bn (£1bn) in the pipeline, since the start of the war.

Read more: ​NATO Summit in Madrid: Ukraine to Get Billions in Military Aid

At the same time, President Zelensky has appealed for more funding and has said the monthly cost of defense for Ukraine was about $5bn (£4.1bn).

Military professionals say success on the battlefield requires a huge range of weaponry, as well as training, spare parts and other support.

With Ukrainian positions in the east of the country under intense Russian bombardment, analysts say Ukraine badly needs better supplies of artillery and ammunition to hold on to key positions.

So far, it is thought that 10 long-range multiple rocket launchers have been either delivered to Ukraine or are on the way, from the US, UK and Germany.

Ukraine says many more are needed to stall Russia's advance. The US systems are M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System or Himars.

Crucially, the range of Himars, and many other systems, varies according to the munitions used, and western donors have not provided the ammunition with the longest range.

The munitions currently supplied to Ukraine give the system a range of about 43.5 miles (70km), which is comparable to the Smerch system on the Russian side.

However, Himars is much more accurate than the equivalent Russian systems.

Howitzers

Australia, Canada and the US have also sent more than 100 M777 howitzers and 300,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition to Ukraine.

The range of the M777 is similar to Russia's Giatsint-B howitzer, and much longer than Russia's D-30 towed gun.

Ukraine's own Warsaw Pact-designed artillery uses 152mm shells.

But with stocks running low, Ukraine is shifting to the Nato-configured 155mm ammunition.

Re-orienting Ukraine's ammunition supplies is complicated and difficult, and reports suggest that Ukrainian forces are suffering a serious shortage in some areas.

Australia, Canada and the US have also sent more than 100 M777 howitzers
Australia, Canada and the US have also sent more than 100 M777 howitzers

The West has been relatively slow to respond to Ukraine's request for heavy weapons.

In the early stages of the war there were concerns about provoking Russia.

Politicians also seriously underestimated the level of Ukrainian resistance..

Over time those attitudes have changed, though there are still questions about the west's resolve to keep supplying Ukraine with arms.

At first the focus was on providing Ukraine with compatible weapons - the ones they've been trained to use.

That included soviet era tanks, air defense systems and ammunition.

The US and other allies helped scour Europe for similar weapons, but those stockpiles have been slowly running dry.

So there is now a transition to sending more modern western weapons with the hope that it will be more sustainable in the longer term.

But that has brought more challenges. Modern weapons systems are often more complex and require training, not just in how to operate them, but to maintain and repair them.

Western weapons are also designed for a Western way of war, one that's focussed more on precision than quantity and mass.

For Ukraine, fighting for its life against overwhelming odd, numbers still matter. Ukraine still believes it's not getting enough weapons.

At the very start of the war Ukraine appealed for more fighter jets. So far not one has been delivered.

Anti-tank weapons

At least 5,000 shoulder-launched Nlaw weapons, designed to destroy tanks with a single shot, have been supplied to Ukraine.

The weapons are thought to have been particularly important in stopping the advance of Russian forces on Kyiv in the hours and days following the invasion.

"Nlaw was absolutely critical to the defeat of Russian ground thrusts in the early stages of the war," according to Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute.

Tanks

Ukraine has received more than 230 Warsaw Pact-designed tanks from Poland and the Czech Republic.

Ukraine's armed forces have been using T-72s for decades and have maintenance and spare parts capabilities, in addition to trained crew.

Ukraine has received more than 230 Warsaw Pact-designed tanks from Poland and the Czech Republic
Ukraine has received more than 230 Warsaw Pact-designed tanks from Poland and the Czech Republic

Poland's donation of tanks has been partly back-filled by alternative weaponry from allied nations, including Challenger 2 tanks from the UK.

Drones

Drones have featured heavily in the conflict so far, with many used for surveillance, targeting and heavy lift operations.

Turkey has sold Bayraktar TB2 armed drones to Ukraine in recent months, whilst the Turkish manufacturer of the system has donated drones to crowd-funding operations in support of Ukraine.

UAV Bayraktar TB2
UAV Bayraktar TB2

Analysts say the Bayraktar TB2s have been extremely effective, flying at about 25,000 feet (7,600m) before descending to attack Russian targets with laser-guided bombs.

They are believed to have destroyed helicopters, naval vessels and missile systems.

Read more: Dramatic Results of NLAW And russia’s T-72 Encounter (Video)