Ukraine Set to Receive More Javelin and Stinger Missiles – Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov announced on Saturday that Ukraine is expecting a new shipment of weapons, including Stinger missiles and Javelins within a matter of days.
“The weapons will be on the territory of our country in the nearest future,” he said. “We are talking about days.”
What Are Javelin and Stinger Missiles?
The Javelin is an American-made missile launcher that uses an infrared-seeking missile. The weapon has been used heavily by Ukrainian soldiers to destroy Russian tanks. Thousands have already been deployed to Ukraine.
2,000 Javelin missiles were pledged by the United States before this latest delivery was announced.
The Stinger missile, officially the FIM-92 Stinger, is a portable air-defense system that utilizes an infrared-seeking surface-to-air missile. The missile uses IR and UV sensors to track targets and is also effective at tracking and destroying drones and aircraft.
Stinger missiles were used successfully by the mujahedeen’s ground troops during the 1980s Soviet-Afghanistan war.
Ukraine Receives Additional Anti-Tank Weapons from Europe
On top of missiles from the United States, Ukraine continues to receive large numbers of both guided and unguided anti-tank weapons from Europe. The missiles have proven essential for the Ukrainian military, allowing Ukrainian fighters to hold off Russian invaders from several major population centers, including Kyiv.
Ukrainian fighters have so far been able to hold off a 40-mile convoy of Russian military vehicles that arrived in Kyiv last week and dispersed around the city. 500 Stinger missiles were pledged to Ukraine by Germany.
Image of Javelin anti-tank weapon. Image Credit: US Department of Defense.
Javelin Missile. Image Credit – Creative Commons.
Javelin anti-tank weapon. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Germany also pledged to supply 1,000 anti-tank weapons from its arsenal. Sweden has already delivered 5,000 anti-tank weapons and Norway has pledged 2,000.
Is Russia Running Low on Ammunition?
Several experts have warned over the last week that Russia is coming close to running out of ammunition – perhaps revealing why Russian President Vladimir Putin recently appealed for military assistance from China.
Ben Hodges, a retired United States Army officer who previously served as commanding general for United States Army Europe, told CNN on March 14 that Russia may be just 10 days away from running out of troops and ammunition.
“I believe that we are probably about 10 days away from Russia culminating. In other words, running out of time, running out of people, and running out of ammunition,” he said.
Ivan Ingraham, who served as a Special Operations Officer for the United States Marin Corps, for 24 years, also said in an opinion piece published on March 10 that Russia’s lack of progress in Ukraine was not surprising.
“Many Russian units are running short on fuel and ammunition. A forty-mile convoy on single-lane roads is a combined arms engagement dream. I can only imagine artillery instructors at Fort Sill, where the U.S. military trains its artillery forces rolling their sleeves with glee to set up sand table training, never mind free and open engagement areas for aerial-delivered munitions from platforms like the A-10 Warthog, which would be well-suited to striking a long-sprawling convoy,” he wrote in Task & Purpose.
Unless Russia shifts to new military tactics or receives assistance from China – and unless Russian troops successfully destroy more ammunition depots in Ukraine – the Russian forces may find themselves forced to retreat within a matter of days.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
