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Over 30 Russian military logistics centers destroyed – Kyiv Ukraine says Western weapons are having a big impact The new M270 missile system has just arrived – Minister
KYIV, July 15 (Reuters) – Ukrainian rockets have destroyed more than 30 Russian military logistics centers in recent weeks and significantly reduced Russia’s offensive capabilities, Ukraine’s defense ministry spokesman said on Friday. The official, Oleksandr Motuzianyk, singled out the role played by US-made HIMARS missile systems, one of several types of long-range weapons provided by the West to help Ukraine fight back against Russia. “Over the past few weeks, more than 30 of the enemy’s military logistics facilities have been destroyed, as a result of which the offensive potential of the Russian forces has been significantly reduced,” Motuzianik said on national television. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Motuzianik told Reuters in separate comments that the 30 targets were destroyed by multiple launch missile systems, including HIMARS. If confirmed, the comments would suggest that Western weapons are having an impact on the battlefield and could signal a change in the dynamics of the war after nearly five months. Russia, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, has seized a chunk of territory in southern Ukraine and used its artillery superiority in the east to make gradual territorial gains, eventually seizing the Luhansk region. A top Ukrainian general said Thursday that Russia had not gained a single meter of ground in the past week and that Ukrainian strikes are disrupting Russian supply lines, forcing Moscow to keep its munitions further back from the front lines. Reuters could not immediately confirm reports on the battlefield. HIMARS have a longer range and are more accurate than Ukraine’s Soviet-era artillery, allowing Ukrainian forces to hit previously unreachable Russian targets. On Friday, Ukraine’s defense minister said Kyiv had received the first shipment of M270 multiple-launch missile systems, without specifying which country provided them. Russia on Thursday criticized the United States and Britain for helping to train Ukraine’s armed forces, calling it part of NATO’s “hybrid war” against Moscow. He said Washington was providing Ukraine with trainers to help use HIMARS. Kyiv said this week that its forces had struck Russian military infrastructure in a city deep in Russian-held territory in southern Ukraine. Motuzianyk also said that only 30% of Russian strikes hit military targets, with the rest landing in civilian areas. That claim could not be verified by Reuters. Russia denies it deliberately targeted civilians in what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Max Hunder. Written by Tom Balmforth. Edited by Rosalba O’Brien Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
