What weapons will the United States deliver to Ukraine and how decisive will they be in the war

Next to the burned remains of a Russian tank, a Ukrainian soldier displays the weapons he claims destroyed it.

The images, published on Twitter by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, are accompanied by a triumphant message: they were the result of “Javelin hits on (Russian) military hardware” targets up to 4 km (2.5 miles) away. It can be controlled with a handheld unit not unlike a video game console and can direct a meter-long projectile right into the side or top of an armored tank. The very presence of US-made weapons “causes panic.” among the Russian troops, says the Ukrainian army, which is about to receive 2,000 more units.

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Ukraine claims to have destroyed more than 400 Russian tanks in recent days. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Javelins are among the items the United States has pledged to send to Ukraine in the new US$800 million military assistance package announced Wednesday by President Joe Biden. The package also includes drones that can become flying bombs and anti-aircraft weapons capable of firing at helicopters from the air. It remains to be seen whether US assistance will allow Ukraine to defeat the larger and better-equipped Russian invasion forces.

What will the United States send to Ukraine?

The new US consignment for Ukraine contains a wide range of military equipment, ranging from 25,000 bulletproof vest and helmet kits to rifles and grenade launchers, thousands of units of other anti-tank weapons and more than 20 million rounds of ammunition. Javelin, the most powerful weapons include 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, the same as years ago Soviet planes shot down in AfghanistanThe United States also plans to send 100 “tactical unmanned aerial systems,” small drones that are often launched by hand and they are so small they fit in a backpack.Soldiers can use them to scout the battlefield or in some cases to attack, creating flying bombs capable of hitting targets from afar. Biden’s Wednesday announcement brings the total amount of U.S. military aid pledged to Ukraine to $1 billion in the past week alone, up from $2.7 billion delivered between 2014 and early 2022. According to John Herbst, former US ambassador to kyiv, this is a “significant advance” that makes up for previous shortcomings. Biden and his team, he opined, “were too restrained in supporting Ukraine” and now “have responded to that pressure.”

The Russian attacks have caused great destruction in kyiv. (GETTY IMAGES)

How decisive will they be in combating Russian ground and air offensives?

Military affairs experts believe that US-supplied anti-tank weapons are likely to have a major impact on Ukraine. The invading Russian forces “are mainly mechanized forces”, that is, armored convoys, so “the best thing you can do is finish with them,” said former US Army Colonel Christopher Mayer. Ukraine has received various anti-tank systems from various countries, helping to increase the “lethality” of its forces against Russian vehicles, Mayer explained. variety of anti-tank systems, they will have a better chance of penetrating the different armor systems of the tanks,” he said. Although his claims have not been independently verified, Ukrainian officials maintain that the weapons are performing well. They ensure that since March 16 they have destroyed more than 400 tanks and another 2,000 Russian vehicles.Anti-tank weapons, however, they do not help fight the russian air forcewhich for three weeks has attacked targets across the country.

A downed Russian helicopter, in a photo released by the Ukrainian government. (GETTY IMAGES)

The portable Stinger system, worn over the shoulder, is the only anti-aircraft resource included in the US aid package. This system has been used in conflicts around the world since 1981 and most notably in Afghanistan, where US-supplied Stingers helped shoot down hundreds of Russian planes and helicopters during the Soviet occupation.

It is effective against helicopters or low-flying aircraft up to approximately 3,800 meters (12,400 ft), although practically useless against higher flying russian bombersHerbst considered mentioning the Stingers as part of the Ukraine aid package a “sign of weakness” in the Biden administration. “They need more Stingers, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “But they also need higher-altitude anti-aircraft weapons. This is a serious omission.”

Russia’s latest threat

The Russian Foreign Minister reiterated his threats to those who help Ukraine militarily

Lavrov has repeatedly threatened those who help Ukraine militarily. (GETTY IMAGES)

Any foreign supply to Ukraine containing military equipment will be considered a “legitimate target” to attack, Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the state television channel RT. It will be a fair goal,” he said.

He argued that the Russian military is “carrying out its operation with the aim of eliminating any threat to the Russian Federation coming from Ukraine.”

What have other countries done?

The United States is not alone in providing military aid to Ukraine. At least 30 other countries have provided such assistance, including €500 million ($551 million) from the European Union, an action that set a historic precedent. However, after the United States announced the new assistance package, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, proclaimed that he urgently needed “more support.” “Even more than we have now,” he argued, demanding “air defense systems, planes, and enough lethal weapons and ammunition to neutralize the occupiers.” Russians.” In Mayer’s view, the US arms supplies committed to date may only serve to “die heroically” for the Ukrainians. “We must be more aggressive in giving them what we have,” he said. “We should give them the same quality and quantity of resources that the Soviet Union gave to North Vietnam during our war with them.”

Ukrainian soldiers unload Javelin anti-tank systems before the Russian invasion. (GETTY IMAGES)

Herbst considered that additional assistance packages will “probably” be needed in the future and that they will only be effective if they allow Ukraine to fight with the Russian air force. “The key for me is whether or not we are sending something that hits air assets Russians at 30,000 feet or more,” he said. While no final announcements have been made so far, Biden promised that there will be more military assistance and that the United States will help Ukraine acquire the longer-range air defense systems it needs, without provide details. “More will come,” he said.

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Source: Elcomercio