Germany refutes delay in weapon delivery to Ukraine; says "to be delivered after training"

Amid the ravaging war between Russia and Ukraine, Germany, on Tuesday, refuted the reports of not delivering advanced weapons to Kyiv that it had promised earlier. While addressing a press conference during her visit to a military base in the western German town of Rheinbach, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht clarified that Ukrainian troops are being trained in using German howitzers. According to the minister, long-range weapons can be used on the battlefield once the troops complete their training. "The exercise on the Panzerhaubitze 2000 will soon be finished so that it can be used in the war in Kyiv," she said.

Notably, Panzerhaubitze 2000, is a German 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall for the German Army. It is considered one of the most powerful conventional artillery systems deployed in modern times. It can hit targets at a distance of 40 km. It is worth mentioning the clarification from Germany came as Ukraine on several occasions accused its counsellor Olaf Scholz of delaying the delivery of the advanced weapons. However, when asked the Defence Minister about the tentative date and the route from which it would be transported to Ukraine, she denied revealing citing security reasons. 

Mykolaiv Governor says Ukraine Running out of ammunition

Earlier on Sunday, a top Ukrainian official said that the Ukrainian forces are now running out of ammunition. In the Mykolaiv region, its governor, Vitaliy Kim, said that the Ukrainian forces, who have been defending the country against Russians with Soviet-era weapons, are running out of ammunition. He appealed to the Western countries to supply advanced weapons to the war-torn country at the earliest. The governor acknowledged that Russian troops are equipped with the latest and most advanced weapons that have been inundating Ukraine from nearly all sides.

The Mykolaiv Governor noted that the Western countries are helping Ukraine with weapons, but they are not arriving "fast enough" or in "sufficient numbers" to deter the Russian aggression. It is worth noting the ongoing war is close to completing four months. Since the onset of the brutal war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to the West and Europe to assist Ukraine with more and more weapons. According to Zelenskyy, it is the only way to end the war.

Image: AP