The Ukrainian military is completing training on HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, which in Ukraine "will soon go into battle". This was stated in Washington on June 14 by the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense for Political Affairs Colin Kahl, - Voice of America reports.
"Putin's goal is still to take over a large part of Ukraine, if not the whole country, but I do not think he will be able to achieve these goals", - Colin Kahl said.
He acknowledged that russian forces have advanced in southern Ukraine, but noted that this advance is not a big breakthrough for Ukrainian defense.
According to him, "they can make tactical success here and there". "The Ukrainians will withstand. I do not think the russians are capable of achieving their grandiose goals", - Colin Kahl stressed.
According to Kahl, the Pentagon shares "Ukrainians' concerns about unequal opportunities in an artillery duel" in eastern Ukraine.
"It is true that the russians have significantly more artillery capabilities", - he noted, stressing that Ukraine was dependent on the Soviet-era artillery systems, while the supply of such systems to Ukraine was severely limited. That is why, Kahl explained, it was decided to switch to the supply of artillery systems used in the NATO countries.
The representative of the military department confirmed that the Ukrainian military is now completing training on HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems and that "these systems will soon go into battle".
The deputy head of the Pentagon also announced that an unclassified version of the new U.S. national defense strategy will be released in the coming weeks. In this document, russia is designated as an "acute threat". Kahl emphasized the choice of the word "acute", which suggests that the challenge is "temporary and at the same time, "immediate" and "abrupt"", - the message notes.
As reported, the USA should restart the production of HIMARS artillery systems and supply Ukraine with at least dozens of them.