With the gradual arrival of heavy artillery aided by the West, Ukraine has become more courageous recently. In addition to using U.S.-aided M777 howitzers and Harpoon anti-ship missiles to attack the Russian-occupied Snake Island and Russian drilling platforms, senior Ukrainian government officials also publicly appealed to hundreds of thousands of civilians in areas controlled by Russian troops in southern Ukraine. Local residents were evacuated and asked to prepare for another fierce battle as "Ukraine could launch a widespread counteroffensive in the south."
A few days ago, Ukraine was still calling on the West to step up its supply of artillery , tanks and other heavy equipment, because the Russian army had an overwhelming advantage in the similar equipment invested in the battlefield in eastern Ukraine. Why is the Ukrainian army suddenly so confident now and even "preparing for a counterattack"? What happened these days?
PzH2000 howitzer
German " Der Spiegel " weekly said on the 22nd that German Defense Minister Lambrecht announced at the German Bundestag that the first batch of seven 155mm self-propelled howitzers provided by Germany had arrived in Ukraine. At the same time, the German government also announced a complete list of military assistance provided and promised to Kiev . Artillerymen and technicians of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who received howitzer training in Germany have also returned to the Ukrainian front lines.
The German Defense Minister’s statement was confirmed by Ukraine. Ukrainian Defense Minister Leznikov declared on social media on the 21st, "We have reinforcements! ... PzH2000 howitzers and Ukrainian technicians have joined the Ukrainian artillery family." According to reports, due to Ukraine's stockpile of Soviet-era large-caliber The ammunition of the artillery has been exhausted, and the Ukrainian army is at a clear disadvantage compared to the Russian army in terms of artillery size. The Ukrainian government has always hoped that the West can provide more and better artillery. The German government stated in May that it would provide seven PzH2000 self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine on the basis of the Netherlands' commitment to provide five howitzers to Ukraine. After receiving the batch of heavy artillery, Reznikov praised German Defense Minister Lambrecht and Dutch Defense Minister Ollongren, and called the delivery "an example of international cooperation to support Ukraine."
According to reports, the PzH2000 self-propelled howitzer is one of the most advanced large-caliber howitzers in the West. It is characterized by fast firing speed and high accuracy, and can carry out intensive attacks on long-distance targets. It can hit targets within a range of 40 kilometers, and has the ability to "attack quickly and retreat quickly", and has very strong battlefield mobility. Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Zaluzhny said they would be used on the battlefield with "100% efficiency."
French "Caesar" self-propelled howitzer
Ukrainian Defense Minister Leznikov said that the PzH2000 howitzer provided by Germany is the sixth 155mm artillery piece used by the West to strengthen Ukraine's defense. Previously, the Ukrainian army has received the M777 towed howitzer provided by the United States, the FH70 towed howitzer provided by Italy, the M109 self-propelled howitzer provided by Norway, the AHS Krab self-propelled howitzer provided by Poland, and the "Caesar" self-propelled howitzer delivered by France. Howitzer.
The U.S. "Business Insider" website stated that these long-range artillery provided by the West are more accurate than the large-caliber artillery used by the Russian army in the Udong region, can deploy and evacuate positions faster, and have a farther range than most Russian troops. artillery. The report also mentioned that satellite photos show that Russian artillery shells often explode on the ground near the trenches of the Ukrainian army positions, rather than exploding above the positions. Stephen Biddle, a military expert and professor of international relations at Columbia University, said, "Generally speaking, the precise aerial explosion of artillery shells is more effective at killing soldiers in the trenches. Satellite photos show that the Russian army is using old ammunition that has been poorly managed ."
Perhaps it is precisely because of the successive delivery of these advanced artillery aids from the West that Ukraine has seen the hope of victory. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Veleshuk made a public appeal at a press conference: "Please leave, because our troops will absolutely (re)occupy these lands. If possible, get out of there, especially if you have children if."The report stated that it is unclear when or whether Ukraine will launch a broad offensive. Military analysts have warned that it may take several weeks for Ukraine to obtain weapons and ammunition powerful enough to carry out a broad offensive in the south. There are signs that Ukraine is in The southern Kherson region has been carrying out small-scale counterattacks.
But even Western observers generally believe that there is no possibility of a sudden change in the situation of the current Russia-Ukraine conflict in the short term. A more consistent view is that this stalemate It may last for several months or even longer. Former U.S. Army Europe Commander Frederick Hodges optimistically predicted that with the support of heavy artillery provided by the West, the Ukrainian army will gradually resist the Russian army’s advance and Before the end of summer, the situation began to turn around. "War is a test of will, and Ukrainians have a stronger will. I see Ukraine's logistics situation getting better every week, while Russia's logistics situation will slowly get worse. They have no allies or friends. "
The US-made "Haimas" long-range rocket launcher
But Biddle admitted: "Quantity itself is quality." These old-fashioned artillery pieces of the Russian army are still very destructive when used on a large scale. Western experts estimate that the Russian army in eastern Ukraine It has invested thousands of large-caliber artillery and has a rich reserve of artillery shells. Although the Western heavy artillery currently deployed by the Ukrainian army on the battlefield is of many types, the number is very limited. For example, Norway provided 22 M109 howitzers, and France provided 6 "Caesar" self-propelled howitzers. The United States provides the largest number of M777 howitzers, but only 126, and a considerable number of these Western artillery have been damaged in artillery battles.
However, some Western experts believe that Russia's current battlefield advantage may It will continue and make greater progress. Because the brutal battlefield attrition resulted in the death or injury of a large number of professionally trained Ukrainian soldiers, the supplementary recruits were seriously lacking in experience, and the advanced weapons aided by the West could not make up for the rapid decline in the quality of the Ukrainian army's personnel. The impact of force. Analysts predict that after Western long-range artillery arrives on the battlefield in large numbers, Russia may lose the technical advantage of battlefield artillery, but it can strengthen frontline defense through landmines and other defensive measures to deal with Ukraine's counterattack.
