Ukraine has already received some smaller, urgent arms shipments after months of awaited approval of a new US military aid program, but others may experience significant delays, possibly as much as half a year. The New York Times writes about it and Ukrainian media reports about it.
According to the newspaper, Ukraine received a batch of anti-tank weapons, rockets and much-needed 155mm artillery shells on Sunday. The second batch arrived on Monday. Then on Tuesday, the Spanish delivered new missiles for Patriot air defense systems to Poland. They are soon to move to Ukraine.
But an unnamed U.S. official told the New York Times that most of the major weapons funded by the new U.S. aid, and even some ammunition, are unlikely to be delivered until late summer or even later.
It will take some time, he said, to determine what weapons can be shipped to Ukraine without depleting the supply of NATO troops who must be ready for combat. These are units that use Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and Humvee armored personnel carriers. Other weapons, such as the 155mm artillery shells that Ukraine so desperately needs, are in short supply around the world.
“It will be difficult for the US and other NATO allies to keep up the pace of supply,” the paper writes. “It could take months before weapons promised by the United States, Britain and Germany, which have announced new military support over the past three weeks, arrive in sufficient numbers to bolster Ukraine’s defenses,” he added.
In addition, Ukrainian forces require training in the use of specific weapons prior to deployment. This applies, for example, to the third Patriot system, the transfer of which to Ukraine was announced by Germany in April.
The new Patriot system is expected to arrive in Ukraine by the end of June at the earliest. Its delivery could coincide with the delivery of another major weapon that Ukraine has long demanded: F-16 fighter jets.
Tags: bad news Kyiv Approved arms deliveries significantly delayed
