The weapon that the Ukrainians hope will make a difference in their war with Russia is all but invisible from a distance.
A single round shoots out with a boom and a loud shriek as it sails toward Russian positions.
The howitzer is American made. The Ukrainian military has been waiting for it to shoot farther, move faster and be hidden more easily.
The New York Times has a morning newsletter.
Three months into the war in Ukraine, the most lethal weapons the West has provided so far are now deployed in combat. Their arrival has given hope to the Ukrainians that they can achieve a key step toward military victories in a war that is fought mostly on flat, open ground.
The howitzers in the US are made of titanium and steel and have four braces that fold up and down. Ukrainian commanders say that they have killed Russian soldiers and destroyed armored vehicles by firing hundreds of rounds.
Col. Roman Kachur said in an interview that the weapon brings us closer to victory. With every modern weapon, every precise weapon, we get closer to victory, he said.
Western military analysts don't know how close it is. The arrival of the new weapons is not a guarantee of success, as the Russians continue to engage in fierce fighting in the eastern Donbas region. It depends on the numbers.
Michael Kofman, director of Russian studies at a research institute in Arlington, Virginia, said in a telephone interview that artillery is very much the business of quantity.
The United States said weeks ago that it would provide the howitzers, but their use in combat has so far been mostly hidden in online videos. The military gave The New York Times a tour of a gun line in eastern Ukraine, the first independent confirmation by international media that the guns are in use.
Military analysts say the full effect won't be felt for at least another two weeks, because Ukraine has yet to train enough soldiers to fire all 90 howitzers pledged by the United States and other allies. There are a few guns at the front.
The issue of giving more powerful weapons to Ukraine is politically sensitive. The United States, France, Slovakia and other Western nations have been rushing in systems such as drones, counter-battery radar and armored vehicles for towing guns, even as Russia accuses the West of fighting a proxy war in Ukraine.
There are disagreements over how aggressively to confront Russia in the Western coalition. France, Italy, and Germany think that Ukraine should use more powerful weapons to push for a cease-fire that might lead to a negotiated withdrawal of Russian forces.
The Ukrainian officials pushed back. They insist that the momentum is on their side and that talks should come only after victories on the battlefield and recapturing territory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview on Ukrainian television that a diplomatic solution would only come after more military victories for the country. The Ukrainian military has been able to repel Russian troops from the capital of the country, as well as from positions near the second largest city, Kharkiv.
He said that ending the war with a mix of military gains and talks was like an automobile.
Zelenskyy said that victory will be bloody.
Both sides said diplomatic talks stopped about a week ago, throwing the outcome back to the battlefields. Not all has gone to Ukraine. Russian forces are close to the city of Sievierodonetsk, threatening an encirclement of Ukrainian troops.
Kofman said he was surprised people believed Ukrainian forces could absorb the losses and then be ready to go on the offensive.
The new, longer-ranged Western artillery is the most destructive of the many types NATO countries are providing. The Msta-S self-propelled howitzer is the most common system used by the Russian army in the Ukraine war.
On the open plains of the east, jeeps quickly pivot into a tree line after a long drive over a lot of bad roads.
Secrecy is paramount in the cat-and-mouse battles that have defined the war in recent weeks. Soldiers pile fresh-cut branches onto the vehicles in order to camouflage against enemy drones.
Soldiers value the ability to quickly hide and move guns and vehicles more than the range.
The dozen or so howitzers that were operating in the two batteries had fired more than 1,700 rounds by Sunday.
At least three Russian armored vehicles have been destroyed by the Ukrainians with a mix of airburst, anti-personnel fragmentation rounds and other types of projectiles.
There were empty boxes and spent bullets in the trees. The rifles leaned against the trunks.
The officers did not say what they were targeting.
He said that the guns will be used to grind down Russian positions and military infrastructure. Ukrainian soldiers say the howitzers will save lives by hitting Russian shells.
The types of Western weaponry flowing into Ukraine now have advantages over the Soviet legacy systems. It is important that they are compatible with NATO caliber shells, which is important to easing fears that Ukraine might soon run out of Soviet-standard bullets.
The French have promised howitzers that can be fired in a maneuver known as "shoot and scoot", which will be sent by the United States.
Military analysts say the triple seven is likely to provide accurate, long-range fire when enough crews are trained to use them.
The problem is training. About 200 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained by the United States at bases in Germany. Some of the group was sent to the front and others to train more Ukrainians. Mykhailo Zhirokhov, author of a book on the war in Ukraine, said training for all 90 guns could take another several weeks.
Smaller numbers of the computer-controlled, self-propelled Caesar guns from France will help, but learning to use them takes months.
The gun was covered in camouflaging branches after the soldiers fired it. The crew ran in case the Russians fixed their location.
The New York Times Company.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
