Defence Ministry: Ukraine must be given new weapons of the kind that NATO uses, not Soviet weapons

ANASTASYIA KALATUR - FRIDAY, 8 APRIL 2022, 02:26

Ukraine needs modern weapons used by NATO countries rather than Soviet weapons.

Source: Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov

Details: Ukraine used to ask for Soviet-style weapons, because they can go straight into battle and the Ukrainian military can use them. This has been a quick way to strengthen defence in a critical period. But the Soviet weapons Ukraine needed and has received have been few in number, often in poor condition and there is not enough ammunition for them.

At the same time, equipment made to NATO standards is plentiful and supplied with ammunition. 155-mm artillery, for example, is used in a range of countries. There would not be a shortage of shells as there is for Soviet systems. This would reportedly not be a short-term but a comprehensive solution. Many countries would be able to pass on these weapons in different ways. Some are already taking the required systems off combat duty, and replacing them with more modern ones, while some simply need the permission of the country that produces them.

If Ukraine obtains these new weapons, this will send a powerful signal to Russia and increase the interoperability of the Ukrainian army with the armies of European countries. 

Reznikov gave assurances that the Ukrainian military would learn to use the new weapons very quickly.

He noted that Ukraine needs air defence systems, combat aircraft, long-range weapons (Long-Range Artillery Missile systems, multiple-launch rocket systems and heavy artillery), anti-ship missiles to destroy the Russian fleet and unblock Black Sea ports, tanks and armoured vehicles, along with reconnaissance and strike UAVs.