U.S. deploys in Poland repair base for Ukraine’s artillery - media
The Pentagon has set up on the territory of Poland a repair point for Western artillery weapons supplied to Ukraine.
This is reported by Ukrinform with reference to The New York Times.
Sources in American defense agencies say a third of the Western-made howitzers handed over to Ukraine are currently of service.
Given the existing problems with repairing artillery on the ground, it has become a priority for the U.S. European Command to address the issue by establishing a repair hub in Poland.
The overhaul of such weapons has been going on for months. The condition of weaponry provided to Ukraine is the subject of close attention among U.S. military officials, who declined to discuss details of the program.
With all the capabilities that the partners provide to Ukraine, the U.S. is working to ensure that Ukraine has the right packages to support those capabilities over time, according to Daniel Day, a spokesman for U.S. EUCOM.
When ammunition for Ukraine's 152-mm Soviet-era artillery guns became scarce shortly after the Russian full-scale invasion, NATO-standard howitzers, which fire 155-mm shells, became one of Ukraine's most critical weapons, given a vast stockpile of compatible shells.
Memo: The Pentagon sent Ukraine 142 M777 howitzers, which is enough to equip approximately eight battalions, according to the latest assessment of U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
Ukrainian troops used them to hit Russian command posts with a small number of high-precision shells and even to set up anti-tank minefields.