As Ukraine continues its Kharkiv offensive against Russian troops and considering Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent call for partial mobilization of the country’s armed forces, Kiev urges western states to provide them with US and German made heavy thanks, the report said on Thursday, citing seven sources familiar with the issue.
The hesitation is based on operational and logistical issues, the report added. Ukraine knows how to operate soviet-era tanks, but western battle tanks use different technology and require proper maintenance, according to the report.
Retired Lt. General Ben Hodges quoted in the report said western tanks would upgrade Kiev’s armed capabilities as they could strike from longer ranges and retreat before any suppression forces are carried out by the Russian army.
In the past months, countries, many from the former Warsaw Pact who still have Soviet-era military arsenals, have steadily delivered equipment to Ukraine. Poland sent 250 T-72 tanks in exchange for 250 M-1s. Others such as Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic have also contributed.
The Collective West and Ukraine regularly collide on what Kiev considers being "insufficient" military aid in its fight against Russia’s special military operation. Many European countries have refused to provide certain types of vehicles, weapons, and ammunition to Ukraine.