West's limited military aid hampers Ukraine's defense, says colonel
Colonel Markus Reisner of the Austrian army, who frequently comments on events in Ukraine, gave an interview and assessed the assistance the West is providing to the defenders' army. In his opinion, the allies are doing too little for Kyiv and, despite having advanced weapons, are not allowing it to defeat Russia.
5:31 PM EDT, July 30, 2024
In an interview with Ukrinform, the Austrian military officer focused primarily on the United States. He acknowledged the capabilities of some of its weapons, including the HIMARS rocket artillery systems, ATACMS ballistic missiles, and F-16 fighters. However, he identified limited supplies as the main problem, which did not meet the needs of the Ukrainian army. Additionally, he criticized the restrictions on how Ukrainians can use the weapons they received.
Austrian military officer criticizes the U.S
This is often repeated in the United States itself: to assist not to destroy Russia but to restrain Russia. This is evident in many examples, including the number of delivered weapon systems. Think about the HIMARS systems, which have shown high efficiency. Ukraine wanted to receive 300 launchers, but it has received slightly fewer than 48 so far. Let's also remember the delays in delivering F-16s and the restrictions on using ATACMS. Additionally, the United States has made it clear that attacks on oil refineries in Russia are not entirely positively received because they could lead to resource shortages in world markets, Reisner commented.
From the words of Ukrainian soldiers and videos appearing on social media, it is clear that the HIMARS rocket artillery systems have become a significant nuisance for the Russians. Using standard MLRS missiles with a caliber of 8.94 inches, they can hit targets up to approximately 49.7 miles away, but with MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles, the range reaches up to even 186.4 miles. Inertial and satellite navigation is used here, and the launchers are mounted on a truck platform, which translates to their high mobility.
F-16 jets won't change the course of the war?
Asked about F-16 fighters for Ukraine, the Austrian military officer stated that they will not change the course of the war. However, they could be helpful in protecting critical infrastructure and pushing enemy combat aircraft deeper into Russia, thus limiting the invaders' use of guided bombs.
Similarly, the F-16 is not some kind of Wunderwaffe (miraculous weapon). He assessed that the F-16 must be considered in combination with the provided air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, and all this must also be supported by appropriate logistics.
The response to this issue may be the U.S. plans reported by "The Wall Street Journal." The American newspaper found that additional armament had been secured so that the fighters could go to the front. The AGM-88 HARM air-to-ground missiles and the AIM-9X Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles are mentioned.
The last issue the Austrian military officer raised is the restrictions imposed on Ukrainians regarding the use of the supplied weapons. Most Western allies do not allow attacks on targets deep in Russia. This includes the U.S. and, for example, the UK, which supplies Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Ukraine tries to circumvent this by using drones, through which it has managed to attack several Russian oil refineries and airports.
