Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
Russia on Friday (July 22) said that its forces had destroyed four US-supplied high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) in Ukraine earlier this month. Both Kyiv and Washington denied the claims.
In its daily briefing, the Russian defence ministry said that “four launchers and one reloading vehicle for the US-made multiple launch rocket systems (HIMARS) were destroyed between July 5-20”.
While responding to Moscow’s claims, Kyiv called it “fakes” which are apparently designed to undermine the West’s support for Ukraine.
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A US official, while speaking to news agency Reuters on the condition of anonymity, said the reports of any HIMARS being destroyed were not true.
The United States and other Western supplied advanced and high-precision weapons to Ukraine to help the war-torn nation counter Russian aggression.
Moscow slams the West for supplying military aid and weapons to Ukraine, saying that the West is aggravating the crisis.
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On the other hand, Kyiv has hailed it. Especially, the arrival of eight HIMARS which is seen by strategists as a possible game changer for the course of the war.
HIMARS are advanced weapons that are more precise and offer a longer range than other artillery systems. It allows Kyiv to strike Russian targets and weapons depots further behind the front lines.
US to send more HIMARS
Recently, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the United States will provide four more precision rocket systems to Ukraine to help it battle Russia’s invasion.
Austin told journalists at the Pentagon that Washington will send “four more HIMARS advanced rocket systems for a total of 16. The Ukrainians have made excellent use of HIMARS, and you can see the impact on the battlefield.”
“Russia is keeping up its relentless shelling, and that’s a cruel tactic that harkens back to the horrors of World War I. So Ukraine needs the firepower and the ammunition to withstand this barrage and to strike back,” he added.
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