Ukrainian forces wasting NATO-supplied arms: UK defense sources
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A report by The Telegraph details the UK's dissatisfaction with Ukraine and its battle tactics, particularly its wasteful tendencies and combat principles.
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In this image released by Ukrainian Defense Ministry Press Service, Ukrainian soldiers use a launcher with US Javelin missiles during military exercises in Donetsk region, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021 (Ukrainian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
The United Kingdom has allegedly expressed its discontent with the Ukrainian Army's military tactics, accusing it of wasting costly arms and equipment provided by Western nations, a report by The Telegraph revealed, citing British defense sources.
Ukrainian soldiers are using NATO-supplied weapons alongside traditional Soviet tactics, leading to what some sources describe as a reckless depletion of both weapons and ammunition, according to The Telegraph.
Based on data from the Ukrainian Finance Ministry, Germany's Kiel University, and publicly available sources, NATO countries have provided Ukraine with over $190 billion in the past three years, with more than half of this amount coming from the United States, according to calculations by RIA Novosti.
From February 2022 to mid-January this year, 32 NATO countries collectively provided $191.2 billion to Ukraine. According to the data, this included $43.3 billion for social spending, $13.4 billion in humanitarian aid, and $133.4 billion for arms.
For example, a UK soldier who trained Ukrainian forces in Ukraine admitted that he had seen footage of Ukrainian troops firing multiple UK-supplied Next Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapons (NLAWs) at Russian positions simultaneously as if they were RPGs. Each salvo, costing approximately £100,000 ($125,900), was a significant expenditure.
Additionally, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly abandoned fully operational US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles, which are valued at $100,000 each and could be reused. Another source told the newspaper that Russian forces had discovered numerous Western anti-tank weapons left behind by the Ukrainians on the battlefield.
"The Russian army probably has more Javelins than the British Army now," the source said.
According to the newspaper, Ukrainian troops trained by NATO officers are hesitant to adopt NATO's combat principles, claiming they are not suited to the realities on the ground—conditions Western instructors have never experienced. Additionally, the report highlights that there is often insufficient time for thorough military training.
Embezzlement and corruption amonf UAF
Meanwhile, UK defense sources have accused Ukrainian forces of corruption and theft, citing incidents where trucks loaded with equipment occasionally disappear and military units receive vehicle shipments missing essential parts, such as seat belts, The Telegraph reported.
In November, a former Polish deputy minister said that Ukraine did not get as much foreign aid as the Biden administration reported, and what it did receive was substantially embezzled. Piotr Kulpa claims Ukrainian authorities misappropriated up to half of the financial aid given to Kiev.
Read more: Zelensky says multiple projects paused due to US freezing aid
