In some cases, Ukraine is literally beating Russia with its own weapons – because Kiev’s troops repeatedly manage to capture Russian ammunition or artillery.
Kiev – Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, Kiev’s troops have repeatedly been able to confiscate weapons from Russia. 800 artillery systems or vehicles are said to be a report by the Deutsche Welle according to now be, including 300 tanks alone. The haul ranges from heavy equipment like modernized T-72 tanks and 2A65 “Msta-B” howitzers to grenades and machine guns. Everything can be used in some way, because Ukraine can either repair, repurpose or examine what is found – and thus gain important information.
Ukraine captures arms from Russia: Involuntary “arms deliveries” mean gaining information
Even North Korean weapons destined for Russia have already fallen into Ukraine’s hands. “We’re capturing their tanks, we’re capturing their equipment, and there’s a good chance this is also the result of a successful military operation by the Ukrainian army,” said Yuriy Zak, an adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister, of the captured Soviet-era North Korean rocket launchers.
“Russia is competing with Western countries that supply arms to Ukraine,” Colonel Oleksandr Zaruba of the Center for Investigation of Captured Weapons of the General Staff of Ukraine joked to the Deutsche Welle about the involuntary “arms deliveries” from Moscow. The Grad multiple rocket launcher system or even a modern T-72 B3M are also part of the loot.
Ukraine captures weapons from Russia: thousands of machine guns and grenades
Smaller weapons such as machine guns or grenades have apparently already been confiscated by the thousands, according to the report. This was partly due to the hasty retreat of Russian troops in some places during last year’s Ukraine offensive. The faster Kiev’s troops advance, the higher the probability of finding the weapons with only minor damage. Even if the weapon itself can no longer be used, it is still an information gain. From examining the technology, conclusions can be drawn about how the weapon can be defended against and how military tactics can be developed.
You can also find out where Russia gets its high-tech parts from. That can for future sanctions – and Moscow’s tricks to circumvent them – play a role. Even new systems were captured, such as the Russian “Strelez” (also: Strelets) reconnaissance computer, according to Colonel Saruba Deutsche Welle. This system, which soldiers wear on their vests, increases the speed of transmission of reconnaissance data. According to Russian information, 40 percent of the targets on the contact line should be able to be tracked down with this. From a technological point of view, this is an “interesting find,” says Saruba.
Ukraine successfully uses captured weapons against Russia
If Ukraine finds a weapon that can be used, it will be registered with the military unit and released for use on the battlefield, Colonel Zaruba said Deutsche Welle. In March, for example, the Ukrainian army captured intact Russian Uragan missiles and used them successfully against Russian troops.
If the soldiers were not familiar with handling a weapon, they would be trained accordingly, the military said. If the weapon is not usable, it will first be repaired. But “recycling” is apparently also an option. The Washington Post had reported aboutthat unexploded ammunition is collected by Ukrainian troops and used to make new projectiles – sometimes the bombs are made loudly The Economist in the 3D printer.
Recycling broken weapons or ammunition from Russia: Experts also see limitations
From an expert’s point of view, however, there are also limitations on the effectiveness of the weapons and tanks found. Michael Kofman, a specialist on the Russian military at the Carnegie Endowment expert forum, believes that the Ukrainians do not always have the necessary spare parts for a repair. “On paper you might capture a lot of vehicles, but you don’t have the engines, the transmissions, or the parts to keep them running.”
In return, Russia has repeatedly succeeded in getting hold of Ukraine’s weapons. The Russian military proudly presents captured heavy weapons from Western allies on social networks. In the For example, on July Moscow’s troops managed to launch the modern Storm Shadow cruise missile from British production in their possession, as reported by Russian state media. The weapon had been delivered to Moscow for closer examination, it said.
#Ukraine #captured #howitzers #ammunition #tanks