If it weren’t for the weapons aid from the West, Ukraine would not have celebrated its Independence Day on Wednesday. Presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych is sure of that. In an interview (source here) he therefore thanks the USA and other western countries; He particularly emphasizes Poland, which, among other things, has given 300 tanks to the Ukraine. France also has a large share, sending a fifth of its artillery systems to Ukraine.
Of the new deliveries of weapons (topic in yesterday’s newsletter), he particularly emphasizes the amount of artillery ammunition, around 250,000 rounds. A unit of Western ammunition is worth five Russian shells. In fact, the ammunition used in NATO is more precise and has a longer range.
What is also interesting about Arestovych’s statements is that he believes that more Himars rocket launchers from the USA would shift the balance of the war in favor of Ukraine. So far, the US has delivered 16 of the systems. “The fate of Europe depends on 25 Himars and 200 howitzers,” he says of the amount of weapons that are still needed.
He sees the next few months as crucial for the kireg. They would show whether Ukraine could eventually recapture Crimea and Donbass. The Russian army is to be considerably weakened before the winter. This coincides with statements by the Ukrainian military, according to which the active phase of the war should be over by the end of the year (more here).
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