Stronger weapons needed for Second World War-type battles

Ukraine has demanded more powerful weapons, including fighter jets, tanks, artillery and anti-missile and anti-ship weapons, from the West before what may be a decisive battle in the Donbas.

 “We need a lot more weapons. Weapons, weapons and weapons,” Ihor Zhovkva, chief diplomatic adviser to President Zelensky, emphasised in an interview with the BBC yesterday.

The urgency comes in response to Russian forces retreating from the north of the country and preparing for a renewed assault in the east.

So far, small and mobile units of Ukrainian soldiers armed with anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles have pushed back invading tank convoys and aircraft. For nearly seven weeks they have managed to keep Russian forces at bay using portable Nlaw, Javelin and Stinger systems donated by Britain, the United States and other western powers.

This next phase of the war could be “measured in months or longer”, according to Jake Sullivan, a US national security adviser. It might resemble the Second World War, with two large armies facing off, Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister, warned Nato leaders in Brussels last week.

Analysts predict a full-scale confrontation between infantry, armoured and artillery, on flat, open terrain.

With Russians already dug in, Ukrainians cannot continue their effective “fire and forget” tactics. Instead, they will need sophisticated air-defence systems and combat aircraft capable of protecting their soldiers from missiles and airstrikes. At the same time, long-range artillery will be vital to hold back Russian forces, while tanks and armoured vehicles would allow them to break enemy lines.

On the Black Sea, anti-ship missiles are needed to hold off amphibious assaults from warships and to break up the blockade that is preventing supplies from reaching Ukrainian ports.

 “To win such a war, we need different help than what we have been receiving,” Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine’s defence minister, said. “We want to liberate the enemy-occupied territories. To do this, we need other weapons.”

Requests have included Harpoon anti-ship missiles; Nasams, Patriot or S-300 air defence systems; and F-15 and F-16 fighters. Western powers have been wary of sending larger weapons, as doing so could escalate the conflict and even provoke attacks against Nato members. Ukrainians have complained that countries such as Germany are making a false distinction between “defensive” weapons that they were willing to supply and “offensive” weapons that some fear will invite aggression.

The Czech Republic became the first Nato member to provide tanks last week, sending 12 Soviet-designed T-72s, as well as howitzer artillery and BMP-1 armoured vehicles. Days later Slovakia confirmed it was giving Russian-made S-300 air-defence systems.

Yesterday Ukraine was said to have received an offer of 100 howitzers, a type of self-propelled artillery weapon, from a German armaments company.

Britain has announced that it is providing a new £100 million package. It includes 120 Mastiff armoured vehicles, new Harpoon anti-ship missile systems, more portable Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles and 800 anti-tank missiles. The US, the largest defence spender, has provided $1.7 billion of military aid since Russia invaded on February 24. On Friday officials revealed they were sending Switchblade 600 combat drones, which have a range of more than 50 miles.