Only five out of 15 Western-supplied PzH 2000 howitzers are still operational in Ukraine, according to a German politician.
According to German Bundestag member Marcus Faber, the German PzH 2000 howitzers that have been supplied by the West to Ukraine have already broken down and need repair, according to German Bundestag member Marcus Faber, who recently visited Ukraine.
In a Wednesday interview with the German news agency NTV, the politician said he was surprised to learn that only five of the 15 German-made PzH 2000 howitzers supplied to Ukraine by Berlin and Amsterdam were still operational. He said that the Russian fire was not the cause of the failures, but the fact that the guns were massively used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
While Kiev has yet to officially confirm Faber's statements, it was reported last month by Der Spiegel that Ukraine had informed Germany that a number of PzH 2000 howitzers were malfunctioning after extensive use. According to the outlet, the German Ministry of Defense believes that the issues may have resulted from high intensity firing, which may have a negative impact on the artillery round loading mechanism. Der Spiegel said 100 shots a day was considered a high level of shooting intensity for the howitzer.
Faber stated that Kiev had requested more spare parts for the weapons and was optimistic that it could bring the howitzers back into working order. He noted that while Germany had already supplied Ukraine with spare parts packages, not all of them were the right ones. He pointed out that spare parts were not always enough and that larger repairs required special workshops, meaning that the Ukrainians could only carry out minor repairs themselves. According to Faber, Kiev has already requested help in building their own repair facilities in order to avoid having to send the howitzers out of the country for maintenance.
Germany has so far supplied Kiev with ten PzH 2000 howitzers, while another five were provided by the Netherlands, who promised another three.
According to a report by Der Spiegel, German arms manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann struck a deal with the Ukrainian government in late July that would see the firm produce and supply Kiev with some 100 PzH 2000 howitzers. A company spokeswoman said the arms deal was worth $1.72 billion, almost triple the cost of all military aid Berlin sent to Kiev s forces since Russia launched its military operation in late February.
Faber has pointed out that these 100 howitzers will not be delivered to Ukraine by the end of next year and has called for Berlin to send Kiev weapons out of its own reserves, which could be replenished by Ukrainian order.
Germany has previously supplied Ukrainian forces with thousands of portable anti-tank and anti-air missiles, tens of thousands of anti-tank mines, and millions of rounds of ammunition. Kiev and the former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany criticized Berlin for reluctance to send military aid to Ukraine and the slow pace of deliveries.
Moscow has warned the West not to send weapons to Kiev, saying it only prolongs the conflict and increases the number of casualties.