Washington Post
February 2, 2023

Who’s sending what to Ukraine: A new wave of Western weapons explained

A new surge of increasingly elaborate weapons from Western countries could change the balance on the battlefield in Ukraine as Kyiv’s major backers agree to successive requests that once made them balk.

…Ukraine has ramped up its calls for aid, building on the trust it gained in fighting with the Western weapons that dominated its requests earlier in the war, including Javelin antitank missiles, drones and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers.

From tanks to air defense systems, the U.S.- and European-made weapons are expected to complement or replace largely Soviet-era technology in use by Ukrainian forces and allow them to use ammunition manufactured in the West….

  1. United States

Amid a push to arm Ukraine with more modern tanks, the United States announced plans in January to send 31 M1A2 Abrams tanks….

….The United States also promised in January to supply two types of armored vehicles to Ukraine: 90 Stryker armored personnel carriers and 109 Bradley Fighting Vehicles….A tracked vehicle, it is designed to move and support foot soldiers and can be equipped with an antitank missile launcher.

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In December, Washington also agreed to give Ukraine one Patriot air defense battery. At an estimated cost of roughly $1 billion, the surface-to-air guided missile system can track and target enemy weapons such as ballistic missiles.

  1. Germany

On the same day the United States declared it would send the Abrams tanks, Germany said it would deliver 14 Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks from its own stocks to Ukraine.

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More than 2,000 Leopard tanks are owned by armies across Europe, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Germany has said it will allow other countries, such as Poland, Norway and Spain, to send their own Leopard tanks, with the goal of assembling two battalions in Ukraine.

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  1. Poland

One of the countries that urged Germany to release the Leopard tanks, Poland has pledged to send 14 of its own.

Poland has already supplied older, Soviet-era tanks. Its prime minister said in January that his country, which borders Ukraine to the west, sent nearly 250 tanks earlier in the war.

Warsaw has also announced it will deliver 30 PT-91 Twardy tanks….

  1. France

French President Emmanuel Macron announced in January that the country would send its AMX-10 RC armored vehicles…its large cannon has given it a reputation as a “tank killer.”…

Late last year, France agreed to supply Ukraine with two Crotale air defense batteries: all-weather, short-range surface-to-air missile systems that may be particularly useful for intercepting Russian cruise missiles.

  1. Britain

In early January, Britain became the first country to pledge Western heavy battle tanks, offering 14 Challenger 2 tanks….

Britain also announced it would send AS90 self-propelled artillery systems to Ukraine. These howitzers, produced in the 1990s for the British army and used in the Iraq War, are close to being replaced within Britain but could provide significant support to tanks and infantry with relatively long-range fire.