• News by AUN News correspondent
• Tuesday, October 25, 2022.
• AUN News – ISSN: 2949-8090

Summary:

• The Defense minister of Ukraine is “optimistic” despite all of the political and practical difficulties in persuading Western nations to give Ukraine more advanced, NATO-grade weapons.

• In a tiresome game of drawing borders that were later crossed by international powers, he pointed out that many of the objects that were initially thought some of those systems are currently being tested against Iranian drones and Russian cruise missiles, which Russia uses to intimidate populations and attack infrastructure.

• “Laying emphasis on Local weaponIn order to create weaponry and equipment that might be manufactured in Ukraine, specifically for air defense systems, Reznikov advised establishing joint ventures with Poland, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

• “Priority is the air defense in the upcoming months, air defenses will continue to be “priority number one,” he stated, while tanks and fighter planes will still be “work in progress.”

• As the missiles and drones continue to fly over Kyiv and other cities, strengthening that defensive shield remains a top priority for Ukrainian officials.

• “I receive a clear message from all sides that no matter what, the nations will support Ukraine until this war is over, and I’m confident that the end of this conflict will mean triumph for Ukraine,” Reznikov said.

Once off-limits, including drones, missiles, and artillery, eventually made it to Kyiv. Reznikov claimed that when he requested Stinger anti-aircraft missiles in Washington shortly after being named defense minister in November, he was told, “no, it’s impossible.” “I asked them why. The response was that it was against the law—political matters. Then, a month before the invasion, we received our first shipment from Lithuania in January. We obtained it with permission from the U.S., and it was the Stingers. The Defense minister of Ukraine is optimistic as this illustrates that even if something seems impossible now, it probably will in the future.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems arrived over the summer and significantly changed the battlefield, and 155mm howitzers underwent the same procedure.

The Defense minister of Ukraine is optimistic about the Futuristic approach

The most crucial choice among the group, at least in the near future, “should be what kind of main [battle] tank we will have for the armed forces of Ukraine, because we understand that all of our partners who have an industry that can produce tanks — like Britain, France, and Germany — they will wait for the political decision from the United States,” he said. “I’m sure we’ll get Leopards, Marders [German infantry fighting vehicles] and other types of heavy armored vehicles like tanks when the first Abrams [arrives].”

Two hundred fifty older Russian tanks, models that Ukrainian tank operators are accustomed to, have already been supplied by Poland to Kyiv. However, Ukrainian authorities assert that more modern tanks would be essential in driving the Russians back, given that Moscow has continued to send its own tanks and armored personnel carriers to the conflict. Despite cruise missiles and drones being prominent in this most recent phase, the conflict will still be fought on the ground, village to village. Kyiv will keep arguing for more armor, given Russia’s almost limitless supply of tanks, artillery pieces, and armored personnel carriers.

When it comes to fighter jets, preliminary discussions over eventually giving Ukraine F-16s are still ongoing. Still, Washington officials don’t believe that would happen in the midst of the current conflict due to the logistics of training Ukrainian pilots and delivering the necessary spare parts for advanced aircraft.

The Defense minister of Ukraine is optimistic regarding weapons

In addition to aiding in removing Russian forces from occupied territory, Ukraine’s use of Western weapons allows other nations to test their arsenals against a Russian army that was formerly seen as second only to the U.S.

Reznikov declared, “During this battle, Ukraine serves as a combat proving ground for us. Since we have eight distinct 155mm artillery systems in the field, “I assume that all [countries] watch how we use these systems. It’s like a rivalry amongst systems,” according to the author.

Some of those systems are currently being tested against Iranian drones and Russian cruise missiles, which Russia uses to intimidate populations and attack infrastructure.

It’s a severe threat to the entire world because they’ll use this equipment against Western targets someday. “The entire civilized world should be striving to find the solution of how to jam them or how to hit them,” he said. They will use them because they are incredibly effective, and I believe they will present a significant issue for NATO and Europe.

Terrorism and harm to civilians

Reznikov is also worried that Moscow may use the forcible eviction of inhabitants from the southern city of Kherson to justify more infrastructure attacks while attributing the attacks on Ukraine.

In Kherson’s area or Kakhovka, the Russians will likely use this as a pretext to demolish some type of civilian [infrastructure] and claim the Ukrainians were responsible, the man predicted. After that, “the Russians will respond once more against our water supply facilities, our energy facilities, or other types of key infrastructure,” as they did during the Kerch bridge explosion this month.

Russia’s nuclear threats and its relentless bombing of civilian targets are regarded as a desperate attempt to make up for its shortcomings on the battlefield as the war drags into its eighth month and Ukrainian forces continue to retake territory in the east and south.

The warnings, however, which prompted a flurry of phone talks between U.S. and British military leaders and their Russian counterparts over the weekend, with calls to Reznikov in between, have been sufficiently ambiguous to give Moscow the opportunity to back down.

“You know, when you have this kind of crazy in your neighbor, you have to understand that there are risks,” he added. “But for me personally, it’s not such urgent of a concern right now because I’m not sure — and I think that Russians are not certain — that they are technically prepared to execute it.

Defense minister of Ukraine measuring the enemy tactics

Reznikov questions the targets Russia would attack as well, stating that any nuclear use on the battlefield would have an impact on Russian troops positioned nearby. Russia’s display in the Black Sea might significantly affect NATO members Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania, which border the waterway.

However, he claimed that a tried-and-true Russian approach employed in Chechnya and Syria to make up for what Russian forces lacked on the battlefield was attacking the energy and power-generation infrastructure targeted at scaring the civilian population far from the conflict.

It’s an actual terrorist state, and we’re still waiting on the U.S. to declare [Russia] to be a state that supports terrorism alongside the Iranian side, according to Reznikov.

This month, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution designating the Russian government as a “terrorist” one, echoing similar conclusions reached by the legislatures of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Although the U.S. and U.K. have not gone that far, Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley stated this month that “Russia has deliberately hit civilian infrastructure with the purpose of injuring civilians” after a meeting of NATO states in Brussels. They have targeted Ukraine’s women, children, and elderly. According to the law of war, strikes against civilian targets with no particular purpose are considered war crimes.

The Defense minister of Ukraine is optimistic as Industry in Ukraine is being rebuilt

In August, the U.S. and a number of partners gathered in Copenhagen to develop a strategy for long-term aid to the Ukrainian military. This assistance will involve maintaining and repairing equipment, which is essential for keeping troops on the front lines and prepared to fight.

Reznikov claimed the meeting and another one this month in Brussels, where dozens of nations committed to providing Ukraine with more excellent air support, gave him the impression that Western countries are ready to assist for many years to come.

“I felt the emotion and the true involvement,” he said of the defense ministers from the various nations, as well as from the United States and the United Kingdom, at the summit in Brussels.

But “we have two hurdles” in trying to strike a balance between the demands of the battlefield now and the long-term plans, he said. “We need to set up mechanisms for repairing and maintaining what we have in the Ukrainian military on the battlefield, secondly at [bigger repair facilities] nearby the battlefield, and thirdly, with a more advanced system that might be set up in Europe, for instance in Poland, Slovakia, or Romania.”

Laying emphasis on Local weapon

In order to create weaponry and equipment that might be manufactured in Ukraine, specifically for air defense systems, Reznikov advised establishing joint ventures with Poland, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Because they will be used in warfare in the future, we must create a UAV business that includes airborne drones and land and marine vehicles.

By using a locally made Neptune missile to destroy the Russian cruiser Moskva in April, Ukraine demonstrated its capability to create its own weapons. But we still need more.

The U.S. has committed to help Kyiv increase its stock of loitering munitions, which can linger over a target before being guided to hit. However, “we are still waiting for the Switchblade 600” drones. The manufacturer of the drones, AeroVironment, announced this month that the first shipment of 10 drones should show up in a few weeks. According to Reznikov, Iran just supplied 2,400 drones to Russia. Therefore “for the moment, I would say that Iranian drones temporarily win this competition.”

Priority is the air defense

In the upcoming months, air defenses will continue to be “priority number one,” he stated, while tanks and fighter planes will still be “work in progress.” To strike cruise or ballistic missiles, our defense systems will divide the targets in the air. German rockets like the IRIS-T and [soon] the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, as well as our own Soviet systems like the Buk. We may employ less expensive equipment, such as German Gepard, Stingers, and Starstreak, or other equipment from our partners, against Iranian drones, he stated.

As the missiles and drones continue to fly over Kyiv and other cities, strengthening that defensive shield remains a top priority for Ukrainian officials.

We need short-range systems from many nations that have those systems, including Sweden, Germany, and the United States, which is why we need our partners to provide solutions with various designs, not just for middle-range or long-range.

Although there are numerous and ongoing needs, Reznikov claimed that his administration has confidence that aid will continue to be provided despite Ukraine’s efforts to develop its own mechanisms for self-defense due to the ongoing meetings and phone calls with allies.

“I receive a clear message from all sides that no matter what, the nations will support Ukraine until this war is over, and I’m confident that the end of this conflict will mean triumph for Ukraine,” Reznikov said.

Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network