According to the New York Times, a few days ago, Ukrainian soldiers began using American howitzers after being trained to use US-made M777 howitzers, at a time when Ukraine hopes to make a “decisive difference” in its war with Russia. .
The newspaper said the powerful American artillery entered the battle in Ukraine, where the “deadliest” weapons provided by the West to Ukraine are now deployed, questioning its effectiveness “in a war that has become more of an artillery battle.” .
The New York Times published a series of images showing camouflaged cannons among trees and ammunition covered in bullets, making them difficult for the enemy to see and identify.
He noted that the US-made Howitzer M777 fires farther bullets, moves faster and hides more easily, and this is what the Ukrainian military has been waiting for.
The cannons were deployed in eastern Ukraine about three months after the start of the war, and their arrival raised Ukraine’s hopes for “artillery supremacy”, at least in some frontline areas, a “big step” towards military victories in the war. They now fight mostly in flat and open areas over long distances.
Massive American howitzers are made of steel and titanium and work with hydraulic systems and are mounted on four legs to raise and lower them.
Ukrainian military leaders say they have fired hundreds of bullets since the arrival of weapons on May 8, destroying armored vehicles and killing Russian soldiers.
“This weapon brings us closer to victory,” Colonel Roman Kashur, commander of the 55th Artillery Brigade, whose unit was the first to use the cannon, said in an interview.
He added: “With every modern weapon and with every accurate weapon, we are getting closer to victory.”
According to Ukrainian officers, since the deployment about two weeks ago, 12 Howitzer 1876 bullets have been fired.
Western military analysts say the arrival of new weapons is not a guarantee of victory, as the Russians continue to engage in “tough battles” in the eastern Donbass region.
Michael Kaufmann, director of Russian studies at the CNA Research Institute in Arlington, Virginia, said in a telephone interview that the Ukrainian artillery should be strengthened with some artillery, because the Russians are superior in artillery.
Military analysts say the impact of the artillery will be limited, as Ukraine has not yet trained enough troops to use the 90 howitzers pledged by the United States and other allies, and there are now only about 10 on the front.
According to the newspaper, the United States has so far trained about 200 Ukrainian soldiers to use Howitzer for 6 days at German bases.
The paper noted the “sensitivity” of the US and European armaments to Ukraine, with Russia accusing the West of waging a proxy war in Ukraine and threatening “uncertain consequences” if it continues to send arms.
President Vladimir Zelensky said in an interview with Ukrainian television a few days ago that a diplomatic solution would be reached only after more military victories for Ukraine along with the flow of weapons.
The Ukrainian military has pushed back Russian forces near Kyiv and near Kharkov, Ukraine’s second largest city, but is now under “intense pressure” in a limited battle to control the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
Source: Lebanon Debate
