Western military aid to Ukraine - statistics & facts
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, several Western governments have gradually increased the scale of their military aid to Ukraine and provide its armed forces with the means to defend itself. This aid proved crucial throughout 2022 as Ukraine managed to resist and roll back the initial Russian advance. The success of 2022 was however, not repeated in 2023, as Ukraine struggled to break through well-defended Russian positions that Summer. Although a crucial military aid package worth 61 billion U.S. dollars was passed by the U.S. congress in April 2024, it was delayed by several months, giving Moscow a window of opportunity in the conflict.
Following the first month of the war, when Ukraine pushed Russian forces out of the areas around Kyiv in the north of the country, the next phase of the conflict was focused in the East. Here, the war entered something of a stalemate, with Russian and Ukrainian artillery systems pitted against each other. To regain the upper-hand, and strike Russian supply sites behind their lines, Ukraine sought more advanced artillery, especially multi rocket launcher systems. The donation of American HIMARS, rocket artillery accurate at long-distances, was crucial to Ukraine’s war effort at this stage. Able to strike behind Russian lines Ukraine regained the initiative in September, and pushed Russia’s armies out of the North East of the country, around the cities of Kharkiv and Izyum. HIMARS systems also helped to degrade Russian forces around Kherson, with Russia being forced to withdraw from the key southern city in November.
During the winter of 2022/23, as Ukraine prepared for a counter-offensive, attention turned to securing more advanced main battle tanks from Ukraine's western allies. At this point countries such as Poland had committed several T-72 tanks, along with Czechia, the United States, and Slovenia. After coming under significant pressure from its allies in early 2023, Germany’s decision to allow Leopard 2 tanks to be sent to Ukraine was an important turning point. Although other types of tanks such as the UK’s Challenger 2, and the U.S. Abrams M1 tank were also transferred to Ukraine, the Leopard 2 was seen as easier to maintain, and more widespread in European armies.
Western weapons and Ukrainian successes in 2022
After Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, the West, and the United States in particular, provided Ukraine with important military aid to defend itself against Russia. At this stage, this consisted of mainly of portable defense systems like anti-tank Javelins, and anti-aircraft Stingers rather than artillery and vehicles. In the weeks following the February 2022 invasion, however, a wider range of countries began to provide aid, including armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) to Ukraine. Western military aid has only increased since the opening stages of the war, and helped Ukraine direct the tempo of the conflict in crucial periods.Following the first month of the war, when Ukraine pushed Russian forces out of the areas around Kyiv in the north of the country, the next phase of the conflict was focused in the East. Here, the war entered something of a stalemate, with Russian and Ukrainian artillery systems pitted against each other. To regain the upper-hand, and strike Russian supply sites behind their lines, Ukraine sought more advanced artillery, especially multi rocket launcher systems. The donation of American HIMARS, rocket artillery accurate at long-distances, was crucial to Ukraine’s war effort at this stage. Able to strike behind Russian lines Ukraine regained the initiative in September, and pushed Russia’s armies out of the North East of the country, around the cities of Kharkiv and Izyum. HIMARS systems also helped to degrade Russian forces around Kherson, with Russia being forced to withdraw from the key southern city in November.
During the winter of 2022/23, as Ukraine prepared for a counter-offensive, attention turned to securing more advanced main battle tanks from Ukraine's western allies. At this point countries such as Poland had committed several T-72 tanks, along with Czechia, the United States, and Slovenia. After coming under significant pressure from its allies in early 2023, Germany’s decision to allow Leopard 2 tanks to be sent to Ukraine was an important turning point. Although other types of tanks such as the UK’s Challenger 2, and the U.S. Abrams M1 tank were also transferred to Ukraine, the Leopard 2 was seen as easier to maintain, and more widespread in European armies.
