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| Photographs by Iva Zimova/Panos Pictures for The WSJ |
Western weapons have helped Ukraine claw back territory in the south, but Kyiv will need greater range and numbers of arms to succeed. ‘We’ve lost so many tanks.’
Ukraine—Along the sprawling fields of sunflowers, wheat and watermelon in southern Ukraine, fighters are preparing for their first major offensive to recapture territory seized by Russian forces earlier this year.
This month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered a new offensive along the southern front to reclaim regions near or along the Black Sea coast that are critical to the country’s security and economy.
The order followed the delivery of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or Himars, by the U.S. last month. Those arms, which strike targets from longer distances and are easy to move and very powerful, have already allowed Ukrainian forces to claw back some territory, say soldiers along the front line.
But the Russians’ ability to strike at the south from land, air and sea means Ukrainian forces need a far greater number and range of weapons from the West, including drones, artillery, tanks and armored vehicles, if Kyiv hopes to regain an area that is indispensable to any future settlement of the war, say Ukrainian commanders and soldiers fighting there.
“For two months, we didn’t move from our trenches, trying our best not to allow Russians to advance while living without showers or shelter in open terrain,” said Aleksandr Patrachenko, a machine-gunner fighting in the Kherson region. “The Himars have made a difference. But we’ve lost so many tanks.” --->READ MORE HERE
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| Tony Overman/The Olympian via AP, File |
The message to U.S. lawmakers from Ukraine’s first lady, delivered amid stark and graphic images of civilian bloodshed, couldn’t have been clearer: After nearly five full months since Russia launched its invasion, Olena Zelenska said that her country needs more Western weapons.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent her to Washington to appeal directly to U.S. Congress for air defense systems.
The appeal Wednesday came as Russia suggested it plans to grab broader areas beyond the industrial region of eastern Ukraine known as the Donbas, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasizing that Moscow also claims the Kherson region and part of Zaporizhzhia and will “continuously and persistently” expand its gains elsewhere.
The billions of dollars in Western military assistance have been crucial for Ukraine’s efforts to fend off Russian attacks, but officials in Kyiv say the numbers are still too small to turn the tide of the war.
A look at what Ukraine has received so far: --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to +++++relevant+++++ and related stories:
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