BERLIN, July 3. /TASS/. The destruction by Russia’s Armed Forces of Western military equipment supplied to Ukraine has had a "sobering effect" on Western countries, German newspaper Berliner Zeitung said on Monday.
According to the publication, Western leaders had "high hopes" for the edge that military hardware deliveries were expected to give Kiev. It was assumed that the battle gear would help Ukraine to "achieve critical territorial gains." However, three weeks after the onset of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, it is now known that Russian forces wiped out "an entire range" of Leopard 2 tanks, which became "another sobering moment" for the West.
That said, the rapid, massive losses of Western military equipment by the Ukrainian armed forces "cost human lives and money," the newspaper noted. For instance, the volume of funds provided by Germany in military aid to Ukraine "has almost doubled since 2022," reaching 5.4 bln euros this year. Berlin has also taken on additional obligations to provide future support for Kiev to the tune of 10.5 bln euros. This is about a "noticeable growth in investments" in the Ukrainian military project on the part of the West, the newspaper concluded.
Earlier, representatives of the Biden administration said that they considered the results of the first two weeks of the Ukrainian counteroffensive as "sobering." Although, officially, Washington is calling for patience with regard to the results of the Ukrainian offensive, in private conversations high-ranking US officials frequently express concern over the slow pace of the advance.
As the Russian Defense Ministry reported earlier, since June 4 the Ukrainian side has been attempting to advance without success while sustaining personnel and hardware losses. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on June 6 that, over three days, Russian troops had deflected all attempts at mounting Ukraine’s "long-promised offensive," while the Kiev regime’s manpower losses had amounted to as many as 3,715 soldiers. According to Bloomberg, the West has acknowledged Ukraine’s substantial losses. In turn, the Politico newspaper, citing administration sources in Washington, said that further aid to Kiev would depend on the success of the counteroffensive.