Could Western Missiles Against Russia Change the War? – Spectator

Raphael Cohen disagrees that Kursk is useless: “After two and a half years of war, Kiev needs a motto. The lack of a more concrete narrative than Kiev’s public relations problem put Western military aid at risk. “The Kursk offensive gives the Ukrainians what they need — a strategic reset,” he wrote last week. Foreign policy publication.

Asked by the Observer, he reiterated the importance of Western aid, but denied that the concession would change the course of the conflict. “I put this question of how far into Russian territory the Ukrainians can push into the same bucket as other weapons questions. All of these, by themselves, do not win the war. Now, Ukraine has access to many weapons that it did not have at the beginning of the conflict. I doubt that This decision could change the course of the war. Any technology, any policy is part of a bigger picture. “I’m more concerned with the overall image than the single end,” he explains.

The statement is in line with the words of US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during his visit to Germany last week. Austin considered And “there is no decisive ability in this campaign”.

Considering the actual utility of these weapons, other questions arise: Price, quantity and delivery process. It is an accumulation of technical factors This makes the success of ATACMS and Storm Shadow even more difficult. Although Ukraine already hasLetwig says these are not significant amounts. This required fresh supplies from both London and Washington. Now, on the British side, one missile costs up to one million dollars (over 900 thousand euros). Stock Small and “the UK has a very poor record of reissuing this equipment,” he adds. “We ran out of cruise missiles during the attack on Libya 12 years ago. Ukrainians won’t have that many to use. On the North American side, the solution to the same problem would be to offer packages that include both ATACMS and JASSMS, an older and heavier model like the Storm Shadow. However, it does mean a redesign of some of the F-16s delivered this summer could support this type of weapon. It would take several months and delay delivery Ammunition for Kiev, reported American officials.