Ukrainian troops receive new weapons every day, but ironically they do not come from the West. Or rather, they’re what Ukrainians have seized from Russian troops fleeing areas Ukraine has retaken in recent weeks. And, after all, compared to the weapons supplied by the West, they were in the majority.
“Ukraine’s rapid advance into the Kharkiv region a month ago put hundreds of Russian armored vehicles in Kiev’s hands. The Russian army left its heavy weapons and supply stores in a disorderly retreat.” reads a report in the Wall Street Journal.
The great added value of these captures was the large number of tanks, howitzers and combat vehicles which the Russians had hastily left behind. Many of them were immaculate, without any problems, while others, with malfunctions, were used for spare parts.
These weapons will be the basis for the recent success of Ukrainian troops, who are retreating several kilometers daily from the Russian offensive. Indeed, as the WSJ reports, Ukraine was running out of many types of weapons, so these captures were fundamental.
“We have so many trophies that we don’t even know what to do with them. We started as an infantry battalion and are now becoming a mechanized battalion. The Russians no longer have the firepower advantage. We had destroyed all their artillery before we could launch our attack, and began to advance so fast that they did not even have time to refuel and load their tanks. They ran away and left everything behind,” revealed Deputy President Ruslan Andrigo IsiumOne of the cities where most weapons were seized.
Putting together the laggards in Kiev and others further north in Ukraine makes Moscow, at present, Ukraine’s largest arms ‘supplier’, even more so than the US or other allies. The difference is that those coming to Ukraine from the West tend to be more advanced.
Quickly capturing areas hitherto ‘lost’ to Russia, hundreds of troops surrender to the Ukrainians with weapons and tanks.
According to some accounts by the Dutch defense analysis and warfare research website Oryx, Ukraine in recent weeks has received more than 400 Russian battle tanks, 92 self-propelled howitzers, 445 infantry fighting vehicles, 200 vehicles. battle tanks and 44 multiple launch rocket systems.
Of course, Ukraine has also lost weapons to Russia, but, again, according to Oryx, Ukrainian troops have not lost to the Russians so far, having lost only 109 tanks, 15 self-propelled guns and 63 infantry fighting vehicles since the beginning. The battle in February.
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