All 20 self-propelled howitzers, which Italy transferred to Ukraine in 2023, turned out not to be combat-ready. This was reported on Saturday by the Financial Times citing a source in the Defense Ministry of Ukraine.
As the newspaper points out, this is not the only problem with the military equipment received by Kiev from its Western allies, which should be taken into account when assessing the AFU’s readiness for a counterattack. Last week, The Economist reported that MiG-29s received by Ukraine from Poland and Slovakia were being dismantled for parts because they were in a non-flying condition.
In March, the Slovak government approved the transfer of 13 MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine. At the same time, it was stipulated in advance that three of the supplied planes had no engines. Ukraine received four MiG-29s from Poland, and Warsaw should transfer four more to Kiev in the near future. In addition we are discussing the transfer of six more Polish MiG-29’s, which are now undergoing maintenance, to the AFU.
The amount of military assistance that Ukraine receives from Italy has been classified by the Italian government. Back in 2022, it was reported that Kiev would receive FH-70 howitzers and American-made M109 self-propelled artillery units from Rome. According to unofficial information from various sources, Italy was planning to transfer 30-60 M109s of various modifications.
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