HIMARS, an American high-mobility operational-tactical missile and artillery system. File photoMOSCOW, June 7Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to the head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office, told the Guardian that Ukraine needs at least 60 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) to have a chance to “defeat” Russian forces — more than the UK and the US are now promising to give. Arestovich believes that MLRS are «a weapon that will fundamentally change the situation» in Ukraine, and Western countries, in his opinion, are not supplying enough of these systems to Kyiv. He urged the West to deliver many times more and with a longer range.
"If we get 60 of these systems, then the Russians will lose the ability to move anywhere, they will be stopped dead in their tracks. If we get 40, they will advance, albeit very slowly with serious losses. At 20, they will continue to advance with heavier losses than now", Arestovich suggested.
Earlier it was reported that the UK is coordinating with Washington a plan for the supply of American-made MLRS M270 to Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense of the country later confirmed that it would not abandon such plans. The United States announced the agreement on the supply of HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems to Ukraine, provided that they would not be used to strike at the territory of the Russian Federation. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that Russia, in the event of deliveries of long-range missiles to Kyiv, will draw its conclusions about strikes against those objects that have not yet been hit. Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. Russian President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.» According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, as of March 25, the Armed Forces completed the main tasks of the first stage — they significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The main goal in the Russian military department was called the liberation of Donbass.