According to experts, the decisive factor that can determine the outcome of the counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the logistics chains of the West and the delivery of ammunition to Ukraine.
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Mark Kanzian said artillery is the most important element of the Ukrainian counteroffensive. In his opinion, it is necessary to solve the problem with large-scale supplies of ammunition from the West so that the Armed Forces of Ukraine can successfully liberate another part of the occupied territory. He stated this in an interview with Newsweek.
Kantsian noted that Western artillery, as well as HIMARS rocket launchers, played an important role when Ukrainian forces seemed to be running out of steam.
“You see it now, you saw it during the First World War. Of course, this can change, but artillery is the most important element,” he said.
In addition, Arms Control Association researcher Gabriela Iveliz Rosa Hernandez told reporters that there are no “wonderful weapons” in war that completely turn things around. However, HIMARS and long-range artillery helped the APU to start hitting targets behind enemy lines.
“The long range of multiple launch rocket systems, in particular, means the increased ability of the Ukrainian side to hit weapons depots or concentrations of Russian troops, weakening enemy supply lines,” Hernandez said.
She noted that the West is now struggling to meet Ukraine’s demand for ammunition. From this, in her opinion, the upcoming counter-offensive of the Ukrainian forces depends.
Amy Nelson, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, said the US plans to increase production of howitzers in the long term. She noted that Washington is going to transfer more ammunition to Kyiv.
“Despite its poor record early in the war, Russia is learning and making tactical adjustments on the battlefield to try and overcome significant Ukrainian resistance,” she said.
Nelson is confident that the logistics and delivery of a large amount of artillery ammunition to Ukraine will help determine the next phase of the war.
Earlier, sociologists calculated how many Ukrainians believe in the victory of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to Deputy Executive Director of KIIS Anton Grushetsky, the vast majority of Ukrainians categorically rule out the possibility of concessions to the aggressor.
We also recall that The Mirror journalists said that Putin is planning mass suicide attacks on the Armed Forces of Ukraine within three months. Thus, Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to continue the current intensity of attacks in the near future and, accordingly, increase the death rate in the ranks of the RF Armed Forces.
