Ukrainian soldiers fire a U.S.-supplied M777 howitzer at Russian positions in the Donetsk region of Ukraine on June 21. Ukrainian soldiers are firing thousands of shells daily, forcing the U.S. to replace gun barrels across the border in Poland. | TYLER HICKS / THE NEW YORK TIMES
DNYUZ/New York Times: Artillery is breaking in Ukraine. It’s becoming a problem for the Pentagon.
WASHINGTON — Ukrainian troops fire thousands of explosive shells at Russian targets every day, using high-tech cannons supplied by the United States and its allies. But those weapons are burning out after months of overuse, or being damaged or destroyed in combat, and dozens have been taken off the battlefield for repairs, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials.
A third of the roughly 350 Western-made howitzers donated to Kyiv are out of action at any given time, according to U.S. defense officials and others familiar with Ukraine’s defense needs.
Swapping out a howitzer’s barrel, which can be 20 feet long and weigh thousands of pounds, is beyond the capability of soldiers in the field and has become a priority for the Pentagon’s European Command, which has set up a repair facility in Poland.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The New York Times admits that the facilities that can repair these howitzers are not available in Ukraine. That they must be repaired outside in places like Poland. But to ship these weapons the trains must be used .... hence Russia's targeting of the electrical grid and crippling Ukraine's train network.
This war is primarily being conducted by artillery. If Ukraine cannot solve this equipment failure, this war of attrition will eventually end very badly for Ukraine.
West-Supplied Howitzers Are Breaking Down In Ukraine
Pentagon builds artillery repair facility for Ukraine in Poland, reports NYT -- New Voice of Ukraine
Ukraine is firing so many barrages its artillery pieces are breaking down -- Task & Purpose
German PzH 2000 howitzers getting worn down in Ukraine -- New Voice of Ukraine