After a Month Delivery, German aid Howitzer for Ukraine is Damaged and Needs Repair

German aid Howitzer for Ukraine is Damaged and Needs Repair

Berlin - German media Der Spiegel reported that the artillery weapons sent by the country were damaged a month after being sent to Ukraine. The weapons were reportedly painstakingly used to cope with the high rate of fire by the Ukrainian military.

"Some of the seven Panzerhaubitze 2000 guns delivered to Ukraine in late June showed signs of wear and tear," the German news site reported, citing an anonymous source as quoted by Russia Today, Saturday (30/7/2022).

Some hardware displays an error message and needs to be fixed. The German military believes that the rioting was the result of the large number of shells fired daily by Ukrainian troops, which damaged the howitzer loading.

"Spending 100 rounds per day is considered high-intensity use," the report noted, adding that Ukraine fired far more than it should have. Although it appears to be forcing German weapons, in fact the number of shells fired by Ukrainian troops is still a fraction of the bullets sent by the Russian military.

Ukrainian officials said earlier this month that their weapons would penetrate 6,000 rounds per day, compared with 20,000 fired by Russia. That workload is also not distributed through the same amount of artillery, with Russia dropping 15 for each Ukrainian unit.

"With ammunition supplies running low, Ukraine is also trying to fire unsuitable ammunition from German howitzers," Der Spiegel reported. After learning that its guns could not fire high-precision munitions, the German military has since sent spare parts to remedy the situation.

Germany is also reportedly working to set up a repair center in Poland to get the howitzer back into action. The Panzerhaubitze 2000 is not the only foreign weapon that appears to be failing on the Ukrainian battlefield. Captured Ukrainian troops have described the Javelin missile launcher - a shoulder-fired weapon delivered by Britain and the United States completely useless in urban combat, while other Kiev soldiers reportedly encountered problems with NLAW batteries making them impossible to use.

"Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, five of which have been delivered to Ukraine, are also experiencing compatibility issues with their Norwegian ammunition," Der Spiegel said. Mixing and matching weapons systems from these different suppliers has been identified by British and American analysts as a “serious challenge” for Kiev.