Ukraine’s defense minister told the Wall Street Journal that the deployment of US long-range missile systems has changed the game in the war against Russia.
Oleksiy Reznikov said M142 highly mobile artillery rocket systems, often called HIMARS, were being used effectively by Ukrainian forces in the northeastern city of Izyum, but said more were needed to repel Russian forces.
“We had to convince them, show them evidence,” Reznikov told the newspaper about Ukraine’s ability to use the weapons systems effectively. “In the case of Izyum, we were precise [in targeting] Russian air operations command center. It was really precise. Our partners saw it and said, “You passed the test.”
Reznikov also said the Ukrainian focus needs more supplies such as armored vehicles, tanks, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles, noting that the drones in use are consistently jammed by Russian forces.
“We have to renew our platoons and replace them and make replacements as well, because we also have a lot of losses,” Reznikov said. “We expect more armor, more weapons from our partners. We need to restore some direction and refresh our fortifications and plan a new operational strategy.
Ukraine is increasing its naval forces in the Black Sea as Russia continues to block the country’s grain supplies from reaching the world market, according to the Journal.
In a statement on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had carried out brutal airstrikes in residential areas as Moscow continued to push for control of the Donbass region.
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Russian forces have already captured the city of Lisychansk and are seeking to regain full control of the Donetsk region, which is under heavy shelling.
Ukraine has repeatedly said that the most important thing the West can provide in its fight against Russia is weapons, as Russia maintains a significant advantage in long-range weapons. He promised not to use American missile systems to strike targets in Russia.
The Pentagon unveiled an $820 million weapons package earlier this month for the hostile country that includes advanced air defense systems. Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February, the US has provided $6.9 billion in security aid to Ukraine.
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