The main topic of the meeting of Ukraine’s allies, which will take place on Friday at the Ramstein military base in Germany, will be the replenishment of ammunition stocks for the Ukrainian air defense, according to sources in the Financial Times, quoted by the BBC. This is important not only for protection against Russian attacks, but also for the success of the expected offensive of the Ukrainian army.

The inevitable depletion of ammunition for Ukrainian air defense systems, especially Soviet-made ones, became one of the main revelations of the Pentagon documents leaked in early April. In Kyiv, this problem was recognized unofficially, and now it has been confirmed to the Financial Times by “European” sources, the BBC reports.

A gloomy scenario

If the ammunition for the short-range air defense system runs out, the consequences for Ukraine will be dire. “It is a grim scenario that Russian bombers with unguided bombs can fly unhindered,” the source was quoted as saying by the FT.

In recent years, Russia has made extensive use of air power in Syria, where the rebels have no air defenses, and this has led to massive destruction of cities such as Aleppo.

In Ukraine, Russian warplanes began to avoid Ukrainian airspace after the first days of the war, operating either close to the front line or, as strategic bombers, thousands of kilometers away.

On Friday, a new meeting will be held at the Ramstein base in Germany, in which the leaders of about 50 countries will take part. The discussion will concern the priority needs of Ukraine, and the main topic will be air defense.

According to another Financial Times source, the recent transfer of MiG-29 fighter jets by Eastern European countries was dictated primarily by the desire to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses.

“We expect thorough solutions for the Ukrainian army from the West”

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi said during his speech on Monday that he expects “fundamental decisions” from the Ramstein-style meeting. He emphasized that “the aggressor must lose” and noted that every delay in the delivery of weapons means loss of life for the Ukrainian army.

• “This is very important to understand: every time we hear that the promised delivery of weapons is delayed, every time there are doubts about the type of weapons for Ukraine, their range or other qualitative characteristics – each date means that Ukrainian military personnel give their lives so that we have there was this time… The time spent on persuading the supply of the necessary weapons to take place after all,” Zelenskyy said.

Pentagon Leaks: Ukrainian air defense may soon run out of missiles

And secret documents leaked from the Pentagon in recent weeks show that Ukraine’s air defense is at risk of running out of missiles and ammunition, the information dates back to February, The Guardian also writes.

One of the documents, dated February 23 and marked “Secretly”, talks about how Ukraine’s Soviet-era S-300 air defense systems will be exhausted by May 2 at the current rate of use. It is not clear whether the level of use has changed during this time.

Ukraine’s Buk air defense systems, which it relies on along with the S-300 to keep up with Russian aircraft, could be in trouble by mid-April, the New York Times reported, and air defenses that protect front-line troops could be in trouble . “fully reduced” until May 23.

Russian fighter jets and bombers, which have more capabilities to attack Ukrainian forces, could prove to be a serious problem for Kyiv, the Times also reported, citing high-ranking military officials.

Col. Yuriy Ignat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, did not comment specifically on the information contained in the documents, but told the Wall Street Journal that Ukraine faces serious challenges in sourcing Soviet-made munitions for its critical S-300 and Baka batteries. .

• “If we lose the battle for the sky, the consequences for Ukraine will be very serious. Now is not the time to delay,” he said, calling on Western allies to step up military aid.

Austria and Malta are the only countries that answered “No” to all categories of aid to Ukraine

According to Reuters and The Guardian, among the dozens of secret documents leaked from the Pentagon in recent weeks is one that summarizes the responses of European governments to Ukraine’s requests for military training and armaments.

The document, titled “Response to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” lists the “estimated positions” of 38 European governments in response to Ukraine’s requests for military assistance.

The Pentagon chart divided responses to Ukraine’s requests for assistance into three categories:

• countries that have committed to providing training and life support.
• countries that have already provided training, death assistance, or both;
• countries with military potential and “the political will to provide lethal aid in the future.”

Austria and Malta were the only countries that marked “No” in all these categories.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has repeatedly called for additional weapons to be sent to Ukraine. “It may seem like a paradox, but military support for Ukraine is the shortest way to peace,” said the NATO Secretary General.

Kyiv’s Western partners have provided crucial military support, including modern battle tanks and armored fighting vehicles, since the start of a full-scale invasion of Russia in February 2022. But they did not send heavier weapons, such as the F-16s, that Ukraine had requested.

Kyiv has also developed its own weapons, such as drones and the Neptune missile, which it says was used to sink the flagship of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea last year.

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