The armed forces of Ukraine are facing serious difficulties due to the lack of spare parts for Western weapons, in particular for self-propelled howitzers supplied by Germany, the Netherlands and Italy. As reported by Bild, this problem significantly limits the possibilities of using equipment that has already failed.
Two commanders of Ukrainian artillery units, which have been using Western self-propelled howitzers for almost two years, confirmed the critical situation with spare parts. "It's a great system, but the wear and tear is very high," notes one of the gunners. Repair problems became particularly noticeable during the Battle of Bakhmut in the summer of 2022.
Despite the fact that the manufacturer Rheinmetall announced a large order for the production of new units in May this year, the manufacturing process is taking several months due to the difficulty of hardening the special tubes. Germany is currently supplying a limited number of pipes for the urgent needs of the front, but Ukrainian gunners note that this is only part of the problem. Other components of self-propelled howitzers also need to be replaced, but their procurement is complicated by bureaucratic obstacles.
The chairman of the Defense Committee, Markus Faber, criticized the situation, noting that the shortage of spare parts has become a bigger problem for weapons systems than enemy fire. He emphasizes that if enough spare parts arrived on time, Ukraine could have more functional howitzers for defense.
Germany plans to transfer 12 more Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers to Ukraine. Berlin and other partners will also provide the Ukrainian troops with 77 more Leopard 1A5 tanks. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that six of these howitzers will be delivered to Ukraine this year, and another six in 2025.
