At the briefing following the 13th meeting in the ‘Ramstein’ format, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin commented on the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Source: Lloyd Austin’s briefing.
Equipment losses will occur on both sides
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated that there would be combat losses on both sides.
“Regarding combat losses of equipment and machinery during the offensive, that’s what war is. So we know there will be combat losses on both sides.”
He noted that Ukraine has the capability to restore damaged equipment.
“It is important that Ukrainians have the ability to restore damaged equipment, repair it where possible, and return it to combat. Additionally, we have the means to further enhance our capabilities. Therefore, counteroffensive actions will continue.”
He also commented on the equipment losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces claimed by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
“I think the Russians showed us the same five destroyed combat vehicles about a thousand times from ten different angles, but to be honest, Ukrainians still have many combat capabilities,” he said.
What is known about the new Ramstein meeting?
According to Austin, during the meeting, participants listened to leaders of European and US commands regarding the training of Ukrainian military personnel and equipment maintenance.
“We also heard from our friends from Germany and Poland about their work in supporting the new Ukrainian tanks, the ‘Leopard.’ Our colleagues from the Netherlands and Denmark are sharing progress on their plans for training Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter jets, including the F-16.”
Canada has allocated a new support package to Ukraine worth $500 million, which includes 200 air defense missiles. Italy has also announced a new assistance package.
Norway and Germany have announced multi-year packages, while Denmark has announced a military assistance package worth nearly $2.6 billion until 2024. The United States, together with the United Kingdom, Denmark, and the Netherlands, will finance additional air defense missiles.