According to a new report, Ukraine still heavily relies on Russian-made arms and will need to seek out other countries to obtain enough Soviet-era weapons and ammunition to continue its fight against Moscow.
NATO member countries from Eastern Europe have already handed over the bulk of their Soviet-origin weapons to Ukraine. However, there is still a large supply of Russian-made weapons in the world, even in countries that publicly support Kyiv, according to a report by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
The think tank stated that the United States and other Western nations should assist Ukraine in obtaining Soviet-made weapons such as artillery rounds and air defense systems.
The report stated that Washington had scanned the NATO stocks and explored other options. However, an extensive search of non-NATO countries revealed a strong supply of untapped Soviet and Russian-made weapons (and their attendant spare part and ammunition) that Washington could quickly acquire for Kyiv.
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies is a non-partisan research institute that focuses on national security. The Foundation for Defense of Democracies tends to support a hawkish foreign policies stance and has strongly criticized the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.
The report by the think tank identified more than 6,300 weapons systems that Ukraine has used or borrowed from other countries. This includes Mi-17 helicopters and T-80 tanks.
These weapons can be found in 23 countries, including South Korea and Colombia as well as Argentina, Argentina, Kenya, and Argentina.
The report lists countries that could be weapons donors who have met at least one criteria: voted for a United Nations resolution calling on Russia to withdraw from Ukraine, voted against Russia’s suspension from the U.N. Human Rights Council or attended a meeting a U.S-led Ukraine defense contact group.
According to the think tank, the U.S. and its European allies might consider future arms sales or trades with countries that supply Russian-made weapons to Ukraine. They could also offer other diplomatic or economic incentives or purchase the Soviet-standard systems directly. The report suggested that some countries may prefer to keep their support for Ukraine “outside the spotlight”.
Bradley Bowman, one the report’s authors and former national security advisor to the Senate Armed Services, and Foreign Relations committees, stated that “some of the countries will not say no”, some may try hard to get it, and some may demand a high price but we must keep trying.”
Bowman, who is now the senior director of Center on Military and Political Power at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, stated that “time is of the essence and there are incredibly high stakes.”
Ukraine warned it that it faces shortages in ammunition for its Soviet-standard artillery, and that it continues to be outgunned in an offensive in eastern Russia. According to a report from the Congressional Research Service, Russian missile attacks on production sites have likely weakened Ukraine’s ability to repair and maintain its military hardware.
Another setback for Ukraine was the recent Russian takeover of Lysychansk, the easternmost city in the country. This gives Moscow complete control over the Luhansk region.
Requests for comment were not received from the Department of State and White House National Security Council.
A government official stated that the U.S. had been approaching NATO countries to supply Ukraine Soviet-era and Russian-made military gear. Non-NATO countries also pledged support at meetings to rally military support for Kyiv.
The official stated that the U.S. had been cooperating with allies and partners for many months to facilitate the transfer Soviet-era equipment. It’s been part our bilateral conversation with countries all over the globe.
Experts say that the U.S.-made and Western-made weapons delivered to Ukraine include howitzers, drones, and high mobility artillery missile system (or HIMARS) which are making a significant impact on the battlefield. However, many of these new systems need training, and Ukraine still relies heavily on its Russian-origin equipment, according to Mark Montgomery, a former U.S. Navy admiral and now with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
