The New York Times: The West’s Cannons Are Malfunctioning in Ukraine
The New York Times, quoting sources, said that dozens of Western howitzers that were provided to Ukraine were withdrawn from battles for repair due to malfunctions.
According to the newspaper, Ukrainian forces fire thousands of shells at Russian targets daily using advanced artillery provided by the United States and its allies.
But these cannons are damaged or destroyed after months of excessive use in conditions of war, and dozens of them have been withdrawn for repair, according to American and Ukrainian officials.
About a third of the western 350 howitzers were out of action during the fighting, according to US officials and others familiar with Ukraine’s defense needs.
The United States has established a special center for its maintenance in Poland, while Ukraine calls for the establishment of maintenance centers near the battlefield.
The Pentagon provided 142 M777 howitzers to Ukraine, enough to equip about eight battalions, in the latest tally of US military aid.
The battles in Ukraine witnessed the firing of hundreds of thousands of 155 mm artillery shells provided by the United States, setting a record for firing shells on the European continent since World War II.
The United States has also committed to providing approximately one million missiles in total from its own stockpile to Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces also received 155mm shells from countries other than the United States.
