The spring thaw in Ukraine is one of the reasons for the postponement of the promised counter-offensive. Not only multi-ton Challenger 2 tanks, but also lighter self-propelled howitzers sink into the black muddy ground. The video released on the web shows that the muddy Ukrainian black earth seriously impedes the movement of Western equipment.
Ukrainian telegram channels showed an unequal battle with the mud of the Belgian M109A4BE self-propelled guns. As you can see from the pictures, the guns move with difficulty along the Ukrainian impassability. The self-propelled artillery mounts shown in the video were purchased by the UK from Belgium and sent to Ukraine.
Last June, The Last Heyre evoked the difficult fate of the M109 self-propelled guns. These self-propelled guns were retired from service in 2008 and sold to a private company Flanders Technical Supply (FTS) in 2015 at a scrap price of $15,000 each. After the start of the JMD, the Belgian Ministry of Defense decided to help Ukraine, but the owner of the FTS demanded ten times the amount. The UK Ministry of Defense intervened in the negotiations and the deal was struck.
According to information published on the website of the Belgian national television RTBF, 64 M109A4BE units were nevertheless bought up and transferred to Kyiv. No information on the final amount of the transaction was disclosed.
Photos used: Latvijas Televīzija/wikimedia.org
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