The United States is sending four powerful rockets to Kyiv to fight against Russia's continued aggression as the Ukrainian defense minister urges arms dealers to "test" weapons against Moscow's troops.
On Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the four rocket launchers would be provided to Ukraine as part of a forthcoming military assistance package. The official, speaking at the fourth meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, said that Ukrainian forces have been using the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems "so effectively."
Rockets to Ukraine
There have already been 12 such rocket launchers sent to Kyiv as part of the U.S.'s military assistance, with the latter training 200 Ukrainians on using the system, said the Joint Chiefs chair, Gen. Mark Milley. Kyiv's forces are using the HIMARS effectively against Russian forces, striking command-and-control nodes, logistical networks, field artillery, and air defenses, the official noted.
During the press conference, Austin joined Milley and noted that the international community is intensifying efforts to send military equipment to Ukraine. The decision comes as Russian military forces continue to relentlessly shell cities across the country, as per Politico.
Austin also said that the U.S. understands the urgency of the matter and is pushing hard to maintain and intensify the momentum of donations. He noted that countries from all over the world continue to step up with critically needed systems and ammunition.
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The now five-month-long war continues to be a "battle of attrition" between the two sides, where sustainment and long-range fires are critical to either party, said Milley. He expects, in the near term, that Russia will continue its heavy shelling of Ukrainian positions in the east to achieve "limited gains."
According to Reuters, earlier this week, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered generals to prioritize destroying Ukraine's long-range missiles and artillery after Western-supplied weapons were used to strike Russian supply lines.
Testing Weapons Against Russia
Since the beginning of the invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops have advanced through the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine and occupied roughly a fifth of Ukraine's territory. On the other hand, Kyiv authorities said that they have carried out successful strikes on 30 Russian logistics and ammunition hubs.
Milley noted that the Donbas region had not been lost by Ukrainians yet and described it as a "grinding war of attrition." The HIMARS has a longer range and is more precise than the Soviet-era artillery that Ukraine has had in its arsenal before.
The situation comes as Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov pitched Western arms dealers on Tuesday, asking them to let his troops test out products against Russia's troops. The official said that Ukraine was interested in testing modern systems in the fight against their enemies.
The remarks were made during a conversation with former U.S. Ambassador John Herbst as part of an online event hosted by the Atlantic Council think tank. Reznikov said that Ukraine was inviting arms manufacturers to test their products in Ukraine, which would have the added benefit of defending from Russian aggression, the New York Post reported.
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