re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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Israel recently approved the export licenses for the possible sale of anti-drone jamming systems that could help Ukraine counter Iranian drones used by Russia during the war, three Israeli and Ukrainian officials said.

Why it matters: It's the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago that Israel has approved defense export licenses for possible weapons sales to Ukraine.

Israel has been careful not to give military assistance to Ukraine, fearing such a move could create tension with Russia and harm Israeli security interests in Syria.

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A Ukrainian official told Axios that a delegation from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense visited Israel recently to get a presentation on the anti-drone systems. No deal has been signed yet.

The systems Israel proposed that Ukraine buy use electronic warfare to jam and down drones. The systems have a range of around 25 miles and can be positioned near power plants or other critical sites to protect them from drones.

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The Ukrainian Defense Ministry is interested in the systems, but they are viewed as less critical because Ukraine has been able to intercept the drones between 75–90% of the time, the Ukrainian officials said.

"What we really need is a defensive system against ballistic missiles," a Ukrainian official told Axios.

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WASHINGTON—Ukraine’s insatiable demand for artillery has for months outpaced Western forecasts, setting off a global hunt for more ammunition and forcing the U.S. to raid its stocks abroad to help Kyiv prepare for its counteroffensive later in the spring.

With some U.S. allies unwilling or unable to supply enough ammunition for Ukraine, the U.S. military is pulling from its munition supplies in a number of locations, including in Israel, South Korea, Germany and Kuwait. These sites, known as prepositioned stocks, are where the U.S. stores everything from trucks to bandages to support American forces around the world.

The first drawdown of munitions from these sites was late last year, U.S. and congressional officials said.

The pressure on the U.S. to take more ammunition from its overseas stocks comes as some of Washington’s allies with the biggest stores of artillery rounds have shied away from supplying Ukraine for fear of being seen by Russia as a party to the fight in Ukraine.

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The U.S. has sent Ukraine more than one million rounds of 155mm ammunition, and allies have contributed more on top of that.

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Ukrainian troops are using more than 90,000 rounds a month of 155mm ammunition, Defense Department officials say.

The U.S. is now scrambling to ensure Ukraine has enough in stock for the next phase of the war, since artillery rounds will help Kyiv’s forces take back territory from Russia in what many see as a make-or-break moment in the conflict.

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Apart from its own production and stockpiles, the U.S. is seeking more artillery rounds for Ukraine from countries that possess large stockpiles, or are capable of producing large volumes of the ammunition.

But in some cases, the responses have been lukewarm. The U.S. has attempted to persuade South Korea, which sits atop a large supply of artillery, to supply Ukraine.

But South Korea, which has tried to remain neutral in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, has been reluctant, providing only about 200,000 rounds, or about two months worth of ammunition based on Ukraine’s consumption rate, according to U.S. and other officials.

The negotiations with Seoul had been ongoing for months, officials said. During initial talks, South Korea said it didn’t want its ammunition to show up on the battlefield in Europe but would consider selling its artillery to the U.S. if Washington could guarantee it would only go to replenish American stocks.

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To avoid the appearance that Seoul was supplying Ukraine, the U.S. arranged last summer for South Korea to sell 155mm ammunition to the Czech Republic’s defense ministry, according to a European parliamentarian who has knowledge of the discussions.

The South Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C., didn’t comment on any of the ammunition negotiations. The government in Seoul has previously denied that it has provided any ammunition to Ukraine.

“There is no change in the ROK government position that it does not support lethal weapons to Ukraine,” said Lee Chang Woo, the first secretary of the embassy. “The ROK government is actively seeking humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, including its reconstruction.”

The Czech defense ministry didn’t respond to a request for comment.

When that deal collapsed, the U.S. agreed to purchase a batch of 200,000 rounds from South Korean defense manufacturer Poongsan, also on the condition that they would be used to replenish U.S. domestic stocks and not be shipped to Ukraine, according to the parliamentarian.
Poongsan didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

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During a trip to the Middle East last week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asked Egypt to provide more of its 155mm rounds and Soviet-era equipment but didn’t secure a commitment, U.S. officials said.

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France was on Wednesday accused of slowing down the European Union’s plans to replenish Ukraine’s dwindling artillery shell stocks by demanding the munitions be manufactured inside the bloc.

European sources told the Telegraph that Paris wanted guarantees that a €2 billion deal to jointly procure weapons would only benefit firms based in the EU.

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So far, EU countries have only provided Ukraine with 350,000 155mm artillery shells, which Kyiv says it desperately needs more of to maintain its defensive lines and launch its anticipated spring counter-offensive.

Brussels has so far reimbursed its member states €450 million for the donations, at an estimated cost of €1,285 per shell.

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Greece and Cyprus, a source said, backed France’s bid to keep non-EU businesses out of the procurement scheme to prevent Turkish firms from bidding for contracts.

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Any final deal will need to be signed off later this month when European leaders hold a summit in Brussels.

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France was on Wednesday accused of slowing down the European Union’s plans to replenish Ukraine’s dwindling artillery shell stocks by demanding the munitions be manufactured inside the bloc.

European sources told the Telegraph that Paris wanted guarantees that a €2 billion deal to jointly procure weapons would only benefit firms based in the EU.
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So far, EU countries have only provided Ukraine with 350,000 155mm artillery shells, which Kyiv says it desperately needs more of to maintain its defensive lines and launch its anticipated spring counter-offensive.

Brussels has so far reimbursed its member states €450 million for the donations, at an estimated cost of €1,285 per shell.
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Greece and Cyprus, a source said, backed France’s bid to keep non-EU businesses out of the procurement scheme to prevent Turkish firms from bidding for contracts.

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Need to rename this thread to Cuck Lovers Conflict.

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LordSnow




I LOVE YOU/TIME TO FAP

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Need to rename this thread to Cuck Lovers Conflict

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BananaManCan

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