Ukrainian troops continue to move forward steadily despite difficult minefields and engineering barriers built by the Russian invaders on the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. Hence, the Ukrainian troops focus on the destruction of enemy manpower, military equipment, ammunition depots, and logistics in the rear.
President Zelensky stated at the Aspen Security Forum on July 21 that Ukrainian counteroffensive operations may soon increase in tempo and that the delay in counteroffensive operations was in part due to limited materiel. He emphasized that Ukrainian forces had plans to launch the counteroffensive in spring 2023 but that a lack of munitions and military equipment, such as mine-clearing equipment and continued Ukrainian training abroad, necessitated a delay. Zelensky also noted that the delayed counteroffensive allowed the Russians to build up minefields and multiple defensive lines.
These evolving circumstances made some of the western weapons particularly indispensable to Ukraine. The Insight News Media will cover the weapons and munitions that are used daily to keep the momentum going, including
- Artillery systems, self-propelled and towed, as well as multiple rocket launchers,
- Drones, especially forward observers, and
- Engineering vehicles.
