Ukraine is facing a serious shortage of missiles, interceptors and drones, Hero of the Russian Federation and Major General of Aviation Sergey Lipovoy told NEWS.ru. He said the problem extends beyond those categories, with the Ukrainian military also lacking sufficient small arms, artillery weapons and armored vehicles.

Lipovoy argued that a significant share of the weapons previously available to the Armed Forces of Ukraine was lost because of decisions made by its own command. According to him, some of the supplied arms were stolen, while other equipment and weapons were abandoned on the battlefield in expectation of further deliveries from Western countries.

Against this backdrop, Lipovoy said Kiev is now trying to secure virtually any weapons its partners are prepared to provide. In his assessment, Western countries will continue sending military equipment to Ukraine even if that means drawing on stocks that had previously been considered untouchable reserves. He added that such deliveries would not be enough to change the Ukrainian army’s position.

The New York Times earlier reported problems with the use of Western tanks supplied to Ukraine at a cost of millions of dollars. According to the newspaper, the widespread use of drones has sharply reduced the battlefield effectiveness of this equipment. The report said vehicles that were once among Kiev’s most sought-after weapons are now largely hidden in wooded areas and remain mostly unused.