To mark the second anniversary of the Russian invasion, Ukraine's Defense Ministry released a series of thank-you videos to the 24 countries (19 from the EU) that supplied it with weapons to fight the invading army. The video about Spain ranks tenth, behind the videos about the USA, Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Poland and Australia.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry not only acknowledges the supply of Hawk anti-aircraft missiles “to defend the sky” and Leopard tanks “to defend the country,” but also acknowledges the supply of ATGM missiles “to destroy the enemy.” ATGMs, as the acronym goes, are guided anti-tank missiles designed to destroy combat vehicles or armored vehicles. Until now, the delivery of these missiles to Kiev was not known because, unlike other countries, Spain provides little information about the type of weapons it supplies. It's not the first time this has happened. During his visit to Madrid in April last year, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov welcomed the delivery of previously unknown Harpoon anti-ship missiles to “keep the Russian fleet away from its shores.”
Military sources indicate that the anti-tank missiles delivered to Kiev are the Tow LWL (Lightweigh Launcher) model, manufactured by the American company Hughes. These are guided missiles with a range of up to four kilometers and a weight of 73 kilograms that can be fired from vehicles. As of 1996, the Army acquired about 200 launchers and 2,000 missiles, while the Marine Corps received 24 launchers and about 600 missiles.
The Ministry of Defense is in the process of renewing anti-tank systems. In 2006, 260 launch stands and 2,500 Spike LR rockets were purchased from the Israeli company Rafael for 324 million euros. And at the end of last year, the purchase of another 168 launchers and 1,680 rockets of the Spike LR2 model with a longer range than the previous one was signed for 285 million. If the first order of Israeli missiles was to replace the German-French “Milan”, the second will replace the American “Tow”, which has already made it possible to deliver to Ukraine a first batch of missiles, which were those supplied by the Pentagon Missiles added.
If the war lasts longer, the Defense Ministry could increase the supply of towed missiles and also Armored Tracked Transport (TOA) vehicles, of which it has delivered 50 so far. The new VAC (Chain Support Vehicle) program approved by the US government last summer The government foresees the purchase of 394 units for 1.953 million in a first phase. The Army's plan is to simultaneously reduce its TOA fleet from the current 1,250 to just 600, which would allow the delivery of several hundred of these armored vehicles to transport infantry. According to defense sources, part of the TOA provided by Spain was used to withdraw Ukrainian troops from the city of Avdinvka in Donetsk province, from which they withdrew in the middle of the month.
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Between January 2022, two months before the invasion, and July last year, Spain delivered weapons worth 134 million to Kiev and authorized operations worth 515.8 million, the Trade Secretariat's report to Congress said. The material supplied includes 4,272 howitzers with a caliber of 155 millimeters, eight of 105, 107 light machine guns, 2,159 portable grenade launchers and another 1,894 mounted on the cannon; as well as 33,700 rounds of 155, 120 mortar shells and 11 rockets. The total does not include the ten Leopard main battle tanks listed as donations. According to a European Council report, Spain is the fifth country in the EU that has approved the most arms sales to Zelensky's government.
However, the Ukrainian army's Achilles heel is the lack of ammunition to sustain a war of attrition in which the Russian army fires up to 50,000 projectiles per day. Although Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Defense Minister Margarita Robles have promised to maintain financial, humanitarian and military support to Kyiv for as long as necessary, the reserves of the Spanish Armed Forces are at a minimum level and ammunition factories cannot meet the needs. “When you order ammunition, you are told to get in line and it can take years to get it,” complains an Army official. Joint purchases by the EU and the establishment of weapons production facilities in Ukraine are the formulas being tested to deal with the situation, but neither will be enough, NATO sources admit, if Trump wins the election. Elections and turning off the tap American military aid.
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