Only three types of weapons can turn the tide of the war in Ukraine. First, Ukrainian defenders need artillery shells, Patriot complexes and missiles, and armoured vehicles.
What weapons does Ukraine need the most?
The blockade of the approval of new funding by the Republican Party and the subsequent reduction in the amount of ammunition that the US supplied to Ukraine until the end of last year reduced the daily supply of shells for the Ukrainians by two-thirds.
The author of the article emphasises that a factory for the production of projectiles is currently being built in the USA — it is being built in Texas to complement the already existing plant in another state. So soon the US will be able to produce about 70,000 shells per month, six times more than in 2022.
There is no reason why most shells can't get into Ukraine if there is funding to pay for each $5,000 shell. Combined with shells from the European Union, as well as a separate initiative by the Czech Republic, urgent deliveries of shells from the United States could give Ukraine a lasting artillery advantage for the first time in a full-scale war, the article explains.
Ukraine's second most significant need is Patriot air defence batteries and their missiles. The military used them, in particular, during the shooting down of 13 Russian planes within two weeks.
Ideally, Ukraine would place $1 billion worth of Patriot batteries in each of its half-dozen major cities, with one each on the eastern and southern fronts.
Doubling or tripling the number of Patriots could help the Ukrainians regain control of the front line in the air and reverse a troubling trend toward larger and bloodier Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities.
Another type of weapon that Ukraine needs is armoured vehicles.
The publication emphasised that the 47th AFU Mechanised Brigade is the main operator of American-made armored vehicles, including M-1 Abrams tanks and M-2 Bradley fighting vehicles, so by supplying new equipment, the United States could "save one of the best Ukrainian brigades."
Bradley and Abrams are among the best-armored vehicles in the world. In counterattacks against Russian assault groups west of Avdiivka, with the help of M-1 and M-2, it was possible to slow down the Russian winter offensive. As a result, to minimise the territorial losses of Ukraine, when the supply of artillery ammunition decreased.
What is known about ammunition for the Armed Forces
Germany will hand over 10,000 artillery ammunition to Ukraine. It should happen in the coming days, General Christian Freuding, the head of the situational centre of Ukraine under the Ministry of Defense of Germany, said.
In addition, the country will finance the purchase of part of the ammunition for Ukraine within the framework of the Czech initiative.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic allocated additional money to purchase ammunition for Ukraine. Twenty countries have already joined this initiative.
