Ukraine needs thousands more artillery units from West

Why do they talk about Russia's superiority in the Donbas and why does Ukraine urgently need Western weapons? This question was answered on the air of the Ukrainian radio "NV" by the people's deputy of Ukraine, a member of the Committee on National Security and Intelligence Serhiy Rakhmanin.

We briefly answer questions related to weapons that you may have had in recent days.

Why does Russia have the advantage in the battle for Donbas?

The Russians are slowly but slowly advancing in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Rachmanin admits. The reason is that they have an advantage in artillery and ammunition.

This is a war of artillery, reconnaissance and aviation, including an unmanned one, says the deputy. So he who has effective reconnaissance and a sufficient number of guns, first of all, long-range and multiple rocket launchers, is successful. I am talking about artillery, which can hit at a distance of 30 to 100 kilometers.

- Ukraine and Russia use approximately the same artillery pieces. The Russians, according to official data, are in first place in the number of such artillery pieces. By the beginning of the war, Russia had more than 3,000 artillery pieces. The U.S. is only the third in the world by the number of such pieces - there are about 1.3 thousand. At the beginning of the war, we had 490 pieces, - Rakhmanin quotes figures.

And the main thing: Russia is the only country in the world, which is able to manufacture in large quantities ammunition for self-propelled artillery and multiple rocket launchers. Ukraine has no such production. Kyiv had a fairly limited stock of ammunition, and now, during the period of intensive action, it is running out.

- There are not many countries that can supply us with this ammunition. Everything that comes in is immediately used. 

In other words, Russia has practically unlimited ammunition. And due to the fact that the front line has become dense, they can provide a serious density of fire. And that's why they get the advantage. 

But the West is helping. Or doesn't it?

- Yes, we are receiving a certain amount of Western arms: we have already received two types of 155mm howitzers and three types of SAS [self-propelled artillery systems - Euroradio]. But we are talking about units, at most dozens.

And we need thousands so that there is at least parity - let alone outnumbering, says Rakhmanin.

- We should get thousands. Not tens, not single units. One should not look for treachery - it is clear that some countries are pressured by Russia, others by public opinion in these countries. But there are also objective factors: the number of these weapons is not so great.

The number of SAS missiles in most countries is measured in tens and hundreds.

- And then they say: give it to Ukraine. And the country looks at the number of these SAS, and thinks: what if tomorrow we have a war? I'm telling you: this is a weighty argument for many, they have a limited number of SASs.

No one was preparing for a big war. Not a single NATO country. There was no thought of having to use SAS, MLRS or tanks.