On day 258 of the war in Ukraine, the situation on the ground remains quite catastrophic for Russia: Ukrainian forces are attacking, and the Russian military is on the defensive almost everywhere on the battlefield.
Russian casualties in Ukraine
Overall, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry claimed that as of Tuesday, Ukrainian forces have killed approximately 77,170 Russian soldiers (and wounded approximately three times as many), destroyed 278 combat, attack, bomber and transport aircraft , 260 attack and transport helicopters, 2,786 tanks, 1,791 artillery pieces, 5,654 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, 391 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), 16 ships and cutters, 4,216 vehicles and fuel tanks, 203 anti-aircraft batteries, 1,476 tactical unmanned aerial systems, 159 special equipment platforms such as bridging vehicles, and four Iskander mobile ballistic missile systems, and 399 cruise missiles shot down by Ukrainian air defenses.
More weapons on the way
The United States remains by far the largest provider of military aid to Ukraine. Recently, the White House approved another military aid package to kyiv. The latest bundle includes the following weapon and support systems:
- Refurbished HAWK air defense missiles;
- 45 refitted T-72B tanks with advanced optics, communications and armor packages;
- 1,100 Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aerial systems;
- 40 armored river boats;
- Financing to renew 250 M1117 armored security vehicles;
- tactical secure communications systems and surveillance systems; Y
- Funding for training, maintenance and support.
In the T-72B main battle tank package, the United States is working with the Netherlands and the Czech Republic to upgrade sensors and equipment on all 45 Czech tanks; the Czechs will send a total of 90 T-72Bs.
Western military aid to Ukraine has been key in preventing the Russian military from achieving its goals. Undoubtedly, the determination of the Ukrainian military and population to fight to the end is more important than weapons and missiles, as the example of the Russian military with the most high-tech weapons systems at the beginning of the conflict has shown. But the constant flow of military aid that is tailored to the particular conditions of the battlefield has done wonders for the Ukrainian defense.
When the biggest threat came from Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers, the United States and NATO sent Ukraine anti-tank weapons, such as the FGM-148 Javelin and the New Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapon (NLAW).
Then, as Russian artillery pushed Ukrainian defenses to the limit, the West sent in hundreds of artillery pieces, including M-777 155mm howitzers and the innovative M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and rocket systems. Multiple Launch M270 (MLRS).
More recently, when the Russian military, under the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin, began raining down ballistic and cruise missiles and suicide drones on Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure in response to the partial destruction of the Kerch Bridge linking Crimea With Russia and other setbacks on the ground, the West sent Ukraine advanced anti-aircraft systems to deal with the latest threat.
Dozens of countries have contributed to the defense of Ukraine. The United States is by far the first, with nearly $19 billion in military aid since the war began and more than $21 billion since 2014, when Russian forces first invaded Ukraine in Crimea and Donbas; the United Kingdom, the European Union and Poland occupy the rest of the top four positions.
Information of: 19fortyfive.com
Photo credits: US Army
