If Ukraine is still to have a chance:
Field equipment will have to be supplied by Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Poland, Romania. Not, by the U.S.A.
Germany has the capability, alone, to supply Ukraine with more than enough artillery (and its support), plus barrels, mortars, ammunition. But, my guess is, that Germany continues to worry about trying to restore its trade relations with Russia.
Ukraine needs 2,000 more artillery pieces, plus 20,000 barrels for those, plus 20,000,000 rounds for those. Yet, what the Ukrainian troops also need, are thousands of small mortars (81mm), so that every squad *might* have at least that, in the field. Too many squads are getting caught, without mortar support.
Ukraine should not launch any weapons into Russia proper, nor Belorus proper. (”Proper” - meaning, the borders BEFORE Putin’s imaginative “annex-plotations.”) The U.S.A. should not support such an offense.
Meanwhile, I continue to support a Cease Fire, with Ukraine keeping the land that it physically holds, and Russia unfortunately keeping the Crimea - mostly because, Ukraine cannot yet manage to recover the Crimea, and Putin’s brutal methods will not likely abate, otherwise.
I think Putin would nuke Ukraine before he would give up Sevastopol.
December 15, 2022
Ukraine: Why are Russian forces fixated on Bakhmut?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR69vUIQJAc
https://www.forces.net/ukraine/ukraine-why-are-russian-forces-fixated-bakhmut
Russian forces are concentrating their efforts on the seemingly strategically unimportant town of Bakhmut.
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Grant said: “My suspicion is that Putin has given them a directive and everybody then follows the directive without rhyme or reason or just cause.
“They’re just bombarding everything, they’re just shelling everything, they’re shelling the city and they’re shelling the surrounding areas.”
He went on: “The doctrine of Russia has always been the doctrine of artillery. You destroy everything first and then you send in the infantry.”