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| German PzH-2000 Howitzers delivered to Ukraine |
Kiev - Most of the German PzH-2000 howitzers that have been supplied to Ukraine by the West have been damaged and need repair. This was revealed according to German MP Marcus Faber, who recently visited Ukraine.
In an interview Wednesday with German news outlet NTV, the politician claimed he was surprised to learn from Ukraine's Ministry of Defense that only five of the 15 German-made PzH-2000 howitzers supplied to Ukraine by Berlin and Amsterdam are still in service.
He added that the cause of the failure was not Russian fire, but the fact that the weapon was "massively used" by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Faber also stated that Kiev had requested more spare parts for the weapon and was optimistic that it could get the howitzer back into working order. He noted that while Germany had supplied Ukraine with packages of spare parts, not all of them were "just right."
He pointed out that spare parts were not always enough and that larger repairs required specialized workshops, meaning the Ukrainian side could only carry out minor repairs themselves. According to Faber, Kiev has asked for help in building their own repair facility to avoid sending the howitzers overseas for maintenance.
While Kiev has yet to officially confirm Faber's assertions, it was reported last month by Der Spiegel that Ukraine had informed Germany that a number of PzH-2000 howitzers were malfunctioning after extensive use. According to the outlet, the German Ministry of Defense believes that the problem may have been caused by high-intensity firing, which may have impacted the artillery shell loading mechanism.
Der Spiegel said 100 shots a day was considered a "high fire intensity" for the howitzer. Germany has so far supplied Kiev with ten PzH-2000 howitzers while another five are provided by the Netherlands, which has promised three more.
Meanwhile, German arms manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann reached an agreement with the Ukrainian government in late July that will see the company manufacture and supply Kiev with about 100 PzH-2000 howitzers, Der Spiegel reports. A company spokesman was quoted as saying that the arms deal was worth $1.72 billion, nearly triple all the military aid Berlin has sent to Kiev forces since Russia launched its military operation in late February.
However, Faber has indicated that 100 of these howitzers will not be delivered to Ukraine before the end of next year and has asked Berlin to send weapons to Kiev from its own reserves, which can then be replenished on Ukrainian orders.
Germany has previously supplied Ukrainian forces with thousands of portable anti-tank and anti-air missiles, tens of thousands of anti-tank mines and millions of ammunition.
However, Kiev and even Ukraine's former ambassador to Germany still criticize Berlin for what they call a reluctance to send military aid to Ukraine and the slow pace of deliveries. Moscow has repeatedly warned the West against sending weapons to Kiev, saying it only prolongs the conflict and increases the toll.