Prague is leading an initiative to purchase 500,000 155 mm and 300,000 122 mm caliber artillery shells for Kyiv. Overall, 18 countries have agreed to finance the purchases within the Czech-led initiative. While some governments — including from Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands — have announced actual financial commitments, others, such as France and Germany, haven’t provided exact figures. … Read more
During the Munich Security Conference in February, Pavel announced the Czechs had figured out a way to purchase 500,000 155 mm and 300,000 122 mm caliber artillery shells for Ukraine from producers outside the EU. The shells can be delivered within weeks if the funding is there, Pavel said. Since then, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, … Read more
Putin himself has not commented on the audio leak yet, but his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned Monday that, “The [military conversation] itself suggests that in the bowels of the Bundeswehr, plans for strikes on Russian territory are being discussed in a substantive and concrete manner.” Russia’s state-owned news agency TASS reported that Monday’s meeting between … Read more
But the biggest uncertainty for most Europeans isn’t about Putin — it’s about America. The U.S. Congress’ failure to support Ukraine has left many speechless. And Trump’s warning that he would “encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to an ally who hadn’t “paid up,” still rings loud. While one defense minister asked … Read more
U.S. President Joe Biden said “Ukrainian soldiers had to ration ammunition due to dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction, resulting in Russia’s first notable gains in months.” Biden called on lawmakers to approve $60 billion in aid to Ukraine that has been held up in the U.S. Congress. The fall of Avdiivka is Russia’s biggest gain … Read more
“Any peace settlement is going to require some significant territorial concessions from Ukraine, and you’re gonna have a peace deal, because that’s the only way out of the conflict,” he said. “We have to deal with reality.” At the Munich conference, such talk is verboten, as Ukraine tries to make the case for more artillery … Read more
“This is Russia’s war against any rules at all,” Zelenskyy said, to applause from the auditorium, adding:” If you do not manage to act now, Putin will make the next years catastrophic for other countries as well.” Zelenskyy’s appearance in Munich is part on an ongoing campaign to strengthen Kyiv’s ties with its Western allies. … Read more
Despite that, the future of Ukraine’s successful defense “also depends on the United States,” the chancellor said, as he urged the U.S. Congress to approve a new multibillion-dollar aid package for Kyiv. Scholz also said that Germany was ramping up arms production to not only better support Ukraine but also ensure its own security. “If … Read more
The report notes a significant rise in military production in Russia, including of artillery and armored vehicles, that is enhancing Moscow’s ability to continue fighting. That surge could outpace Ukraine’s output unless the West escalates artillery production and delivery, Estonian intelligence finds. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Russia could maintain its current … Read more
This battlefield transparency is invaluable for artillery and air forces to attack targets. Until recently, “imprecision” would have been the kindest way to interpret the often thousands of rounds needed to assure some confidence that a target could be destroyed. And given the vagaries of weather, wind and a host of other factors, even with … Read more
