Ukraine: Mike Pompeo asked how Trump would handle crisis

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Vladimir Putin expected Kyiv to fall within a matter of days, yet the war is now fast approaching its first anniversary. Aside from fierce resistance by the Ukrainians, unprecedented amounts of military equipment and other assistance from Western allies have been crucial. Express.co.uk has been keeping track of the weapons each country has sent over the past year.

In late January, Germany and the US confirmed they would be sending tanks to Ukraine after months of debate over whether or not this would simply escalate the conflict.

President Volodymyr Zelensky and his military planners have now set their sights on modern fighter jets. Much like tanks, these were off the table until recently. A senior European envoy said: “Fighters are completely inconceivable today, but we might have this discussion in two, three weeks.”

Far from overlooking the year-old war, NATO and its allies appear to be ramping up support. Roughly £36billion in military aid was committed to Ukrainian forces between January 24 and November 20 2022, according to the Kiel Institute.

The tank division pledged by the US alone added £330million to this total. As Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov hints at planning something to “gain the world’s attention” on February 24 – and in anticipation of a spring offensive from both sides – Express.co.uk takes stock of everything Ukraine has been sent to repel the invader.

Check the interactive map below to learn more about the scope and scale of military aid to Ukraine…

Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs)

A wide range of logistical and tactical support vehicles are essential for victory on the battlefield. To this end, over 1000 APCs have been sent or pledged to Ukraine.

The most common of these is the American-made M113 – a tracked transport vehicle carrying up to 15 people, variants of which have been in use in wars from Vietnam to Afghanistan.

Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs)

IFVs combine troop mobility capabilities with fire support, usually by way of an integral light cannon. Over 300 have been donated to the Ukrainian armed forces to date, including Soviet-era BMP-1s and US Bradleys.

READ MORE: Putin sends chilling threat to West over tanks deliveries to Ukraine

Tanks

President Zelensky has long maintained modern Western battle tanks are crucial if Ukraine is to push Russian forces out of its territory. The country has until now been using outdated Soviet T-72 tanks, 260 of which were given by Poland.

On January 15, 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the UK would lead the way by sending 14 British Army Challenger 2 tanks to the front. The US swiftly followed suit, pledging 31 M1 Abrams tanks.

On January 25, Germany committed one company of 14 Leopard 2 tanks, and gave permission for European allies to do the same. On Friday, Berlin took a step further by agreeing to sell 88 older Leopard 1 tanks to Kyiv.

In total, around 500 older tanks are set to be reinforced by up to 80 modern variants. These NATO-standard tanks will, however, require considerable training before they are of use on the battlefield, raising questions over the timeframe.

A range of Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) other than tanks – generally faster but with less firepower – have also been deployed to Ukraine, such as the reconnaissance-focussed French AMX-10 RC or the Swedish CV90.

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Artillery

Heavy ranged weapons – tower or truck-mounted – are used on battlefields the world over to suppress enemy fire or to destroy their positions from a great distance. Among the most common are howitzers, of which well over 500 have been sent to Ukraine in the past year.

Howitzers come in many shapes and sizes, many countries developing their own models. British-developed M777 155mm variants have been donated by Australia, Canada and the US, while Slovakian SpGH Zuzanas have come from Denmark and Norway.

These, however, are vastly outgunned by HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) – one of the most advanced rocket systems in the world.

With their 50-mile range roughly twice that of the weaponry Ukrainian forces were using before and far more accurate than the models used by their adversaries, the US has sent 20 HIMARS to Ukraine since last June. They are said to have been key to repelling Russian troops in the south of the country, particularly from Kherson.

Portable launchers

Thousands of portable rocket launchers have also been sent to the field. The most common is the US-made M72 LAW (Light Anti-tank Weapon), first seeing action in the Vietnam War. Designed to neutralise a tank in a single shot, over 20,000 of this model alone have been sent or committed to Ukraine.

A popular shoulder-mounted equivalent for air defence is the FIM-92 Stinger, of American design and used by the militaries of 29 countries worldwide. The US alone has pledged 1400.

Air defence

In the opening weeks of the conflict, NATO forces decided against imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine to avoid direct combat with Russian aircraft. A range of surface-to-air missile systems (SAMS) have been sent to the country since then, including ageing Soviet S-300s and Norwegian NASAMSs.

In December, the US also announced it was also sending a Patriot Air Defence System to Ukraine, Germany and the Netherlands doing the same in January. With a range of up to 62 miles, the sophisticated weapon is effective but expensive and requires specialist training.

No combat jets have yet been delivered, but at least 30 Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones with missile capability have been promised, alongside roughly 150 other Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) used for reconnaissance and targeting.

Many Eastern bloc countries have also committed helicopters to the fight – six from Latvia, two from Lithuania and four from the Czech Republic.

Other assistance

On top of these deliveries of lethal machinery come vast quantities of firearms, ammunition, equipment from helmets to tents, emergency ration packs and health kits.

A number of NATO and allied countries have also invested in instructing Ukrainian troops – from the UK-hosted Operation Interflex for combat operations to demining training in Cambodia.

Since the start of the war, the US has given the largest amount of military aid to Ukraine by far, totalling €22.9billion (£20.5billion) by November 20, according to the Kiel Institute. 2022 marks the first time since the aftermath of the Second World War that a European country has been the top recipient of US foreign aid in a year.

The UK is second on the list, having pledged €4.1billion (£3.7billion). A Downing Street spokesperson said the Prime Minister was “dedicated to ensuring Ukraine wins this war,” on the day it was announced the UK would be dispatching tanks to Ukraine.

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