Reznikov waiting for Western-supplied 300km-range HIMARS
YEVHEN KIZILOV – FRIDAY, 15 JULY 2022, 12:56
Oleksii Reznikov, the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, is confident that Western partners will provide Ukraine with projectiles for HIMARS (high-mobility artillery rocket systems) which are capable of hitting targets at a distance of 300 kilometres.
Source: Reznikov in an interview to the Financial Times
Quote: "I think it’s a step-by-step movement. We give them proof that we can use it with precision and sophistication and we get more, and longer range."
Details: The minister praised HIMARS for their accuracy and range, noting that they had greatly helped reduce the death toll among the Armed Forces in Donbas.
Reznikov said more missiles and artillery would be essential for any attempted counter-offensive by Ukrainian troops.
Quote: "By the end of this year there will be a serious change in the battlefield in Ukraine’s favour.
I hope we will see the counter-offensive campaign this year and [that] it will be successful."
Background:
On 1 June, US President Joe Biden announced the provision of a new security aid package to Ukraine, which includes HIMARS (high-mobility artillery rocket systems).
HIMARS are equipped with rockets capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 80 km, but the systems can potentially strike at a distance of 300 km.
At the beginning of July, Oleksii Danilov, the secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, reported that Ukraine had received 9 HIMARS and similar systems from the US and its allies, but for a counteroffensive, dozens more are required.
