A Ukrainian serviceman fires an NLAW anti-tank weapon during an exercise in the Joint Forces Operation, in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, on Feb. 15, 2022.
A Ukrainian serviceman fires an NLAW anti-tank weapon during an exercise in the Joint Forces Operation, in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, on Feb. 15, 2022.AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda, File
  • Weapons have been sent to Ukraine to help it fight off the Russians.

  • At various stages of the war certain systems have been decisive.

  • Anti-tank weapons are one of the weapons.

Western countries and NATO allies have provided various weapons and systems to the Ukrainian army in order to stop enemy forces from attacking.

Among these weapons are shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons, Unmanned combat aerial vehicles, and mobile rocket launchers, game-changing systems that have helpedUkraine derail Russian President Vladimir Putin's campaign, whether it was defending Kyiv in the early spring or keeping Russian forces at bay in easternUkraine

The US provides security assistance toUkraine. The Biden administration has committed over $19 billion in military aid since Moscow invaded. The UK has committed over two billion dollars as of November.

Germany, Turkey, Australia, and Canada are some of the additional sources of money committed to Ukraine.

According to George Barros, an expert with Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War, there are several weapons systems that Western security partners of Ukraine have provided. Russia would have won the war if it weren't for Western security assistance.

Some of the game-changing weapons that helped turn the tide of the war are shown here.

The weapons are shoulder-launched.

A Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces member holds an NLAW anti-tank weapon, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022.
A Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces member holds an NLAW anti-tank weapon, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022.AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

After months of gathering troops and equipment along the border, the Russians advanced quickly on the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Putin's troops were forced to withdraw from the region in order to focus on eastern Ukraine.

In the early stages of the war, shoulder-launched anti-tank missiles, like the UK-supplied Next Generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) and US-supplied FGM-148 Javelin, became crucial tools for Ukraine.

The weapons were important for individual Ukrainian soldiers to be able to defeat Russian armor as they were approaching during the first phase of the invasion.

Half of Russia's main battle tanks have been lost in the conflict.

The American-made portable air-defense system was one of the important shoulder-launched weapons. According to Barros, these weapons were capable of downing Russian helicopter and aircraft.

In the early days of the war, the three lightweight weapons helped the Ukrainians defend Kyiv.

There are small arms and bullets.

Fighters of the territorial defence unit, a support force to the regular Ukrainian army, take part in an exercise as part of the regular combat tactics classes, not far from the Ukrainian town of Bucha, Kyiv region on July 13, 2022 amid the Russian invasion of the countrySERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images

Even though they have received less attention than other weapon systems, certain small arms and their ammunition were critical to the survival of the Ukrainians in the war. The weapons were used to help members of the Ukrainian armed forces.

"It's not a sophisticated system or anything like that, and it's not uniformly standard, but that aid was very important during the initial phase of the invasion as well, because it was very unclear how far the Russian invaders would get."

The US has committed over 11,000 grenade launchers and small arms, as well as more than 104,000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition, according to the Department of Defence.

Some of the small arms used by Kyiv's forces have come from the West and other sources. These include rifles, sub machine guns, light machine guns, sniper rifles, and handguns manufactured abroad in Austria, Israel, and even Russia.

Western intelligence says that many of the Russian troops in Ukraine have rifles that are barely usable. Britain's defense ministry previously said that the weapons were kept in poor storage conditions.

The bayraktar is a combat vehicle.

Ukrainian servicemen push a Bayraktar TB2 UCAV at the Kulbakyne aerodrome during the Exercise Sea Breeze 2021, Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine.Yulii Zozulia/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images

The Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone became a decisive weapon in the war in Ukraine as it was used in one of the most brutal and attritional battles of the war.

The combat aerial vehicle that was used in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was highly regarded by global militaries and had a long wait for it. Songs that went viral on the internet were inspired by these systems.

The Ukrainians were able to destroy military equipment like tanks, howitzers, and infantry fighting vehicles with the help of the drones.

During Ukraine's attempt to regain Snake Island in the Black Sea, ground communication lines were unavailable. The Russians decided that they could no longer hold their positions after using the drones.

"This is a tactic that the Ukrainians have used very effectively since they've had access to precision munitions that are capable of striking deep into Russian areas," Barros said.

The missile is air-to- surface.

US Marines load an AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile onto an F/A-18C Hornet at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam on August 13, 2021.US Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Tyler Harmon

Thousands of square miles of territory were liberated by the Ukrainians in the northeast of the country in the late summer.

The US supplied the High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile, an air-to-surface missile that can hunt and target enemy radar systems.

Barros described the missiles as a "limited but effective capacity" and said that they were used to threaten Russian air defense radars and systems.

He said that the Ukrainians were able to use the HARM missile to hit Russian air defense assets. The Ukrainians were able to use the HARM for a very specific job and not a lot of people talk about it.

The hikaRS is a high mobility rocket system.

A Ukrainian serviceman as seen by the HIMARS vehicle in Eastern Ukraine on July 1, 2022.Anastasia Vlasova for The Washington Post via Getty Images

The HIMARS is one of the game-changing weapons of Ukraine.

These systems are capable of hitting targets up to 50 miles away and have the ability to strike further. The weapons have been able to target Russian command posts.

The systems quickly became revered by top Ukrainian officials and the country's armed forces because they were so effective at a time when the war was quickly becoming a WWI-style battle. The range given to the Ukrainians by the HIMARS was greater than what the US provided.

Barros pointed to two specific examples where these weapons proved to be a game-changing weapon on the battlefield.

Russian forces were able to destroy Ukrainian defensive positions in small towns because of their superior weaponry. They would press forward into the area and slowly grind their way deeper into Ukraine.

Russia needed a lot of weapons near their firing positions. Moscow was able to sustain a high volume of firepower thanks to the Russian ammunition depots that were being targeted by the Ukrainians.

During the campaign to regain territory in the southern Kherson region, Himars played a key role. This weapon was used by the Ukrainians to cut off Russian troops and create a logistical problem for Putin.

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