Ukraine gets more U.S., German rocket launcher systems – minister

Ukraine has received more German and U.S.-made multiple rocket launcher systems, part of a series of deliveries of the high-precision heavy weapons promised by its allies, its defence minister said on Monday.

The government in Kyiv has repeatedly pleaded with the West to send more long-range artillery as it tries to turn the tide on Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion and attack Russian supply lines and ammo dumps.

Moscow has accused the West of dragging out the conflict by giving Ukraine more arms, and said the supply of longer-range weapons justifies Russia’s attempts to expand control over more Ukrainian territory for its own protection.

Ukraine has received four U.S.-made high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS), Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said.

“I’m grateful to @POTUS and @SecDef Lloyd Austin III and the (U.S.) people for strengthening of #UAarmy,” Reznikov wrote on Twitter.

HIMARS have a longer range and are more precise than Ukraine’s Soviet-era rocket artillery, allowing Ukrainian forces to hit Russian targets that were previously unreachable.

via Reuters