Advanced German artillery now deployed in Ukraine: Kiev
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The Ukrainian armed forces have been granted advanced German artillery systems, namely howitzers, that have been deployed to counter Russia.
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The Panzerhaubitze 2000 German-made 155mm self propelled howitzer
Advanced German artillery systems have been deployed in Ukraine as part of the latest deliveries of the long-term precision weapons that it has been asking for, Kiev said Tuesday.
"Panzerhaubitze 2000 are finally part of 155 mm howitzer arsenal of the Ukrainian artillery," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov wrote on social media, thanking his German counterpart Christine Lambrecht.
Berlin had said in May that it would send self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine as part of its bid of intensifying deliveries of heavy arms to help Kiev against Russia.
A Ukrainian diplomatic source in Germany told AFP that all the seven pledged German howitzers had made it to Ukraine.
The German army has about 100 howitzer 2000s in its stocks, but only 40 are combat-ready.
The United States and France, among several other allies of Ukraine, have vowed to up their supply of weapons for Kiev, with a number of US deliveries making it to Ukraine later this month.
The West has been sending arms to Kiev even before the Ukraine war broke out, alleging that it was to help the country against Moscow. However, Ukraine has long been complaining that it had only received a fraction of what it needed, clamoring for heavy weaponry.
🇷🇺Russian MoD footage of objective monitoring of the destruction of firing positions of 155-mm howitzers M777 pic.twitter.com/ndhWxDHEpj
— Леонид Геннадьевич (@leonelk855) June 21, 2022
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia had warned in early June that the weapon systems the West was delivering to Ukraine were ending up on the black market "thanks to well-known, incredible corruption of Ukrainian officials," making it possible for international terrorist organizations to purchase such equipment.
"A very simple internet search will show you that American Stingers are being sold for $7,000 a piece, and Javelins for $30,000 each," Nebenzia told the UNSC. "Of course, these sales won’t be missed out by international terrorists, including those that act in Europe and America."
Earlier that week, the United States decided to provide High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to Ukraine due to the nature of the conflict changing to an "artillery duel".
The HIMARSs were the centerpiece of a $700 million package in mid-June which includes "Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger antiaircraft missiles, powerful artillery and precision rocket systems, radars, unmanned aerial vehicles, Mi-17 helicopters, and ammunition," President Biden said.
In addition to the US package, which raised the total of supplies from Washington to Kiev to more than $5 billion since Biden took office last year, the United Kingdom said it was giving the Eastern European country US-made long-range M270 multiple launch rocket systems.
Russia has repeatedly warned the West, even via a formal diplomatic note, against continuing to send arms to Ukraine over the war in the country, with Moscow stressing that it would only exacerbate the situation.
