Western arms delays cost lives, Kyiv says

Half of western military aid to Ukraine is delayed, hindering the country’s defensive efforts and costing lives, Kyiv’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said yesterday.

“At the moment, commitment does not constitute delivery,” Mr Umerov said at a forum dedicated to the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion. “Fifty per cent of commitments are not delivered on time.”

Europe has admitted it will fall far short of a plan to deliver more than one million artillery shells to Kyiv by next month, and now hopes to meet the target by the end of the year.

Mr Umerov said the delays put Ukraine at a further disadvantage “in the mathematics of war”, as Russia continues its transition to a war economy.

Delays will cause Kyiv to “lose people, lose territories”, especially given Russia’s “air superiority”, he said. “We do everything possible and impossible, but without timely supply it harms us.”

Russia had fired more than 8,000 missiles at Ukraine since the start of the war – an average of more than 10 a day, Mr Umerov added.

Kyiv has faced an ammunition shortage in recent weeks, and a $60 billion US aid package has been held up by Congress. US President Joe Biden blamed the delay for Ukraine’s forced withdrawal from the city of Avdiivka this month, which handed Russia its first territorial gain in almost a year.

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said yesterday that he was “deeply convinced that the US will not abandon Ukraine in terms of financial, military and armed support”.

On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed G7 leaders visiting Kyiv to ensure the quick delivery of weapons.

“You know very well all we need to keep our sky protected, to strengthen our military on the land, and you know all we need to sustain and continue our success in the sea. We are counting on you,” he said.