Western longrange weapons would allow Ukraine to defeat Russian forces and take control of the city of Severodonetsk “in two or three days,” Sergei Gaiday, governor of the country’s eastern region, said on Thursday.
“Once we have longrange artillery, we can face Russian artillery and our special forces could clear the city in two or three days,” the regional governor said.
The Russian army has been trying for several weeks to take control of the industrial city in the Lugansk region, which is crucial for controlling the entire Donbass mining basin.
According to the governor, Ukrainian troops have made up ground in recent days and currently control “a large part” of the city.
Ukrainians are urging the West to send more longrange missile systems.
The US government has already announced the deployment of four Himars systems multishot rocket launchers installed on lightly armored vehicles with a range of 80 km.
But Washington wants to make sure Ukrainian soldiers know how to use the systems properly before deploying more, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Commander General Mark Milley said on Wednesday.
The Himars are a “sophisticated” system and there is a need to “educate these young people to ensure they know how to use the systems properly,” the general explained.
“It is necessary to train operators, but also soldiers in charge of maintenance and officers and noncommissioned officers,” he explained.
The UK announced it would send a similar missile launcher system called MLRS, mounted on heavy armor.
According to Gaiday, the situation in Severodonetsk on Thursday is “very dynamic”, with several ground fights and “constant” Russian bombardment over areas still controlled by the Ukrainians.