(AFP) The long-range American rockets that Russia claims to have identified on the battlefield in Ukraine could become a strategic asset for Kiev in the coming months, experts point out.
Russia said on Tuesday that it had shot down a GLSDB rocket, a small-diameter, high-precision, 150-kilometer range rocket manufactured by U.S. company Boeing and Sweden’s Saab.
- Farther
The American multiple rocket launchers the Ukrainians had so far only reach up to 80 kilometers beyond Russian lines.
“The Himars [rocket launchers] had already forced the Russians to reorganize their command and logistics, making them more discreet near the front or forcing them to retreat beyond 80 km from the front,” Léo Péria-Peigné of the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) explains to AFP.
Now, with mobile GLSDBs mounted on trucks or “caterpillars,” “the Russians will have to find other solutions,” especially, doubling the distances “with an already limited fleet of vehicles.”
The Russian-controlled Black Sea coast is also becoming accessible to attacks, making Russian supplies by boat difficult.
The United States announced in February that it would deliver the new rockets to Ukraine, without specifying a time frame, but the government in Kiev, however, has not confirmed.
On Monday, the British Ministry of Defense reported 14 attacks since February 21 around the town of Mariupol (under Russian control, southeast), more than 80 kilometers from the front.
“Russia is likely to be concerned that they are producing unexplained explosions in an area that was probably previously considered out of range of Ukrainian strike capability,” the same source said.
- What will be the impact?
The military impact is yet to come. Each new weapon delivered to the Ukrainians brings a diversity of doubts about its effectiveness.
Rockets are no exception, and this model was first tested in Sweden in 2015, according to Boeing’s website.
“This will be the first real and massive use of this weapon that will put its performance to the test, especially in terms of accuracy,” says Léo Péria-Peigné. According to its manufacturers, it has an attack accuracy of one meter.
Russia announced the shooting down of a GLSDB rocket shortly after the confirmation of delivery of British, American and German tanks to Ukraine, key, according to the Kiev government, to its military reconquest objectives.
“Fifty tanks, even if they are the best in the world, can hardly have a strategic effect, unlike 10,000 GLSDB, if these systems fulfill their promises,” the French expert said.
Ivan Klyszcz, a researcher at the Estonia-based International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS), points out that “the introduction of new systems can change the dynamics of the front.”
But for now, “the war effort is based on men and shells,” he assures.
The delivery of these new rockets also shows that even though Westerners often hesitate before delivering new weapons, in many cases they eventually do.
According to Ivan Klyszcz, the slowness is explained by the allies’ difficulties in agreeing on a common strategy, but also by the fear of attracting Russia’s ire, or of irritating Western public opinions tired by the war effort.
Ukraine used US GLSDB long-range rockets, Russia says
Russia said on Tuesday (28) that it shot down an American long-range GLSDB rocket, confirming for the first time that such munitions were delivered to Ukraine, which considers this type of weaponry crucial for launching a counteroffensive.
The Kiev government did not provide information on the employment of this type of rocket, a small-diameter, high-precision projectile.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that “the anti-aircraft defense … shot down 18 Himars system rockets and one GLSDB (Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb) guided rocket.
These projectiles, manufactured by American Boeing and Swedish Saab, with ranges of up to 150 km, can hit Russian positions, especially weapons depots, far from the front lines.
“The accuracy of the GLSDBs is so high that they can hit the wheel of a tire,” the Saab company states on its website.
- Initial Reluctance
Ukraine has insisted that it needs this type of ammunition to destroy Russian supply lines and counter its lack of troops and equipment, aiming for a counteroffensive in the south and east of the country.
In June 2022, the delivery to the Ukrainian army of Himars high-precision mobile rocket launcher systems, with munitions with a range of 80 km, allowed Kiev to attack Russian army reserves and inflict hard blows on Moscow.
With this advantage, Kiev was able to seize large territories in southern and northeastern Ukraine between September and November.
In response to the Himars’ threat, Russian forces extended their supply lines, moving their ammunition reserves further from the front.
Western countries were initially hesitant to supply longer-range systems to Ukraine, due to fears that they would be used to attack Russian territory, causing an escalation of the conflict.
Ukraine, in turn, has repeatedly promised that these weapons will only be used to attack targets in occupied territories.
After Ukraine suffered a wave of attacks against its cities and infrastructure, the United States announced on February 3 that it would provide Kiev with GLSDB systems.
However, a timeline for the deliveries was not disclosed and some sources estimated that it would take several months.
In addition to ammunition, since the conflict began in February 2022, Ukraine has insisted that it needs hundreds of heavy tanks to cope with the invasion.
Western countries have promised to send war tanks, but the number of shipments seems to be falling short of Kiev’s expectations.
On Monday, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced that he had received an arsenal of British Challenger tanks, American Stryker and Cougar armored vehicles, and German Marder vehicles.
For Russia, sending Western weapons is proof that the United States and Europe are waging an indirect war against Russia.
In response to this aid, Russia announced that it will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, a neighboring country of Ukraine that lent its territory to the Russian invasion, although it is not participating in the fighting.
Belarus confirmed on Tuesday that it will house tactical nuclear weapons, even though it said its army will have no control over the arsenal.
In addition, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said that this “in no way contradicts Articles I and II of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”