It were artillery strikes and combined-arms warfare, not western-delivered hand-held weapons and hit-and-run tactics, that coined Ukraine's success in driving out the Russian Army, says military analyst Mykola Bielieskov. Western reports alleging otherwise are not only misleading: they distort the discussion on further arms aid to Ukraine.
Their whole story is the following one: using Western-supplied light anti-tank equipment, Ukrainian forces in small units ambushed Russian columns via hit and run tactics along major roads.
This depiction is in fact only a fraction of what has really taken place. In particular, the role of tube artillery/MLRS and missiles is totally disregarded, with all ensuing negative strategic implications for future Western security assistance.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are the most formidable opponent the Russians faced since 1945, because, unlike Afghans, Chechens, or Syrians, Ukraine has regular armed forces which have been preparing for this all-out war for the last seven years.
Ukraine's artillery was drastically improved since 2014
The enlargement and improvement of artillery were one of the facets of this preparation. In 2014, the Ukrainian Army had at its disposal:- only three separate brigades of tube artillery (Msta-S, Msta-B systems);
- three regiments of heavy MLRS (Uragan, Smerch systems);
- one missiles brigade (Tochka-U).
- As well, nine brigades of the Land Forces had so-called brigade artillery groups of their own (MLRS Grad, SPH Gvozdika, and Akatsia) to support maneuver components with fire.
- The 27th MLRS regiment with Uragan systems was turned into a brigade attached to the 4th battalion;
- The 32nd MLRS regiment with Uragan systems was established;
- The 107th MLRS regiment with Smerch systems was turned into a brigade;
- The 19th missile brigade added 2 battalions of Tochka-U missiles - in order to have five in general.;
- The 40th, 44th, and 406th tube artillery brigades were established and armed with Giatsynt-B, Msta-B and D-20 towed howitzers;
- The 43rd heavy tube artillery brigade with mighty Pion SPH of 203 mm caliber was also established.
The role of artillery in modern warfare
Now let’s turn a bit to theory to better understand the role of artillery in modern warfare - before returning to the real-world experience. First of all, since WWI, modern warfare has followed the combined arms approach, meaning that different branches of arms are involved to get the planned results on the battlefield and in operations. And artillery, along with infantry, is an integral part of combined arms warfare since its onset more than a century ago - both to support defensive and offensive maneuver elements, as well as for counter-battery fighting. Despite all the changes in the character of war, artillery ensures that 60-70% of enemy targets are destroyed, given its cheapness and ubiquity. The mass effective employment of artillery is an important factor in conducting a strategic defensive operation.Artillery and missiles make it possible to target enemy troops and equipment in its rear before the enemy overplays you in the game of maneuvering and massing troops and equipment and striking your defenses with preponderant forces.
The Smerch in action
In other words, the mass effective employment of artillery is one of the factors that make defense effective through an active approach. Simply speaking, it’s one thing to destroy enemy equipment one by one in close combat with the inherent risk involved. And it is totally another thing to destroy the enemy in mass at ranges of over 10 km with little risk to the people in question. With all mentioned above, now let’s turn to the ongoing all-out Ukraine-Russia war. It won’t be an overestimation to say that were it not for artillery, the employment of solely light antitank guided missiles (ATGMs) just would have prolonged the agony of Ukrainian forces and the Ukrainian strategic defensive operation would not have been so successful. On the contrary: it is the application of combined arms warfare - light mobile infantry with ATGM, armor, and artillery, piloted aviation, and combat UAVs - that disrupted the original Russian plan and destroyed fully or partially 40% (50 battalion tactical groups) of the Russian forces involved in the original assault. In this complex destruction of the enemy, tube artillery, MLRS, and missiles played a major role. Just a couple of examples to illustrate the point:- It was a Tochka-U missile that made a strike at Berdiansk port destroying one Russian big amphibious ship and setting on fire others;
- It was the involvement of Uragan MLRS that made it possible to strike Russians in Chornobayivka (Kherson Oblast) multiple times causing mass losses in manpower and equipment;
Artillery played the main role in destroying Russian troops in Chornobayibka
- Grouping of Ukrainian Forces defending Kyiv on the left bank of the Dnipro river consisted of 11 battalions of three combined arms brigades (1st tank, 58th motorized, 72nd mechanized) with its own brigade artillery groups along with attached two battalions of 27th MLRS brigade with Uragan systems and one battalion of 43rd heavy tube artillery brigade with the mighty Pion SPH of 203 mm caliber.
Pions in action
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That’s why the story being told by western media that western-supplied ATGMs employed in hit and run tactics by small groups in ambushes along major roads is only part of the real story of what made it possible for Ukraine to effectively defend itself against the Russian invasion. In the end, it was the same story of combined arms warfare - with artillery plus missiles playing its unique role in support of maneuver elements, counterbattery fights, and striking priority targets in the depth of the enemy's rear.

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