Western artillery flooding Ukraine will change the war with Russia, launching a bloody battle of intelligence backed by long-range weapons and forcing both sides to become more agile if they hope to avoid significant casualties as fighting intensifies in the east. US and predict military analysts. The large-scale artillery battle follows Russia’s failed attempt to quickly seize Ukraine’s major population centers, including the capital, Kiev. The time has come for the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Western benefactors to prepare for an expected campaign in the Donbas region. The clash there is expected to show the long-range guns that are central to Russia’s arsenal, weapons that have already been used with disastrous consequences in places like Mariupol, a southern port city that has been pulverized by relentless bombing. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking with his Canadian counterpart at the Pentagon on Thursday, said the long-range artillery would prove “decisive” in the next phase of the war. The Biden government, which together with Canada is training small numbers of Ukrainian troops on how to handle dozens of 155mm shells. pledged to provide both countries, is expected to approve the transfer of even more artillery to Ukraine in the coming days, Austin. he said. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin pressures Ukraine hard – but quietly US and Canadian aircraft bound for Ukraine are being towed in trailers, while those seized by France – systems known as Caesar self-propelled guns – are firing the same 155 mm explosive bullets from the rear of a truck chassis. The United States alone has already promised Zelensky nearly 190,000 artillery shells, plus 90 shells to fire. As of Thursday, more than half had arrived in Ukraine, said a senior US defense official who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with basic government rules. A new $ 33 billion request to Congress for additional assistance to Ukraine includes proposed funding for “heavier-caliber artillery,” Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told lawmakers at the Capitol, although he did not specify specifics. Other allies, such as Britain and Sweden, could also send artillery, analysts said. Ukraine uses Soviet-era weapons against Russia To date, Russia and Ukraine have exchanged fire using some of the same systems, including the powerful 300 mm Smerch multi-launcher missile system, which can fire approximately 55 miles, and 122 mm obsolete projectiles first launched. in the 1960s. The introduction of various western artillery pieces is expected to accelerate a tactical shift on both sides to use what is known as anti-missile artillery, in which military forces seek out their enemy artillery, determine its position and attack. , analysts said. “You are trying to find, correct and complete,” said George Flynn, a retired three-star Marine general and former artillery officer. “You want to find the enemy cannons. You want to correct their position. And then you want to finish them. That’s the essence of targeting. “ After an artillery unit attacks an opponent, it must continue to move, Flynn said. “Once you get into a battle with the opposite battery, you shoot and I scoot,” he added. “You do not get stuck and let yourself be the target.” Russian and Ukrainian artillery range Examples of some of the artillery and its approximate maximum range 13.6 miles D-30 trailer howitzer 18 miles 2S19 motorhome howitzer 43.5 miles Smerch manifold rocket launcher 2.2 miles TOS-1 manifold rocket launcher Examples of NATO countries’ artillery are Ukraine’s mission and approx maximum range 18.6 miles M198 trailer howitzer 28.6 miles Caesar on the move howitzer 24.9 miles M777 trailer howitzer The difference between a trailer and self-propelled howitzer Russian D-30 and American M777 and M198 must be towed by a truck. The French Ceasar is a truck with a shell on it. Ukraine demands more self-propelled guns, such as the US M109 Paladin, less vulnerable to Russian anti-battery. Sources: Federation of American Scientists; oe.tradoc.army.mil; GlobalSecurity.org and Post a report ARTUR GALOCHA / THE WASHINGTON POST Russian and Ukrainian artillery fields Examples of partial and approximate artillery maximum range 13.6 miles D-30 trailer howitzer 18 miles 2S19 motorhome howitzer 43.5 miles Smerch manifold rocket launcher 2.2 miles TOS-1 manifold rocket launcher Examples of artillery sent by NATO countries to Ukraine and its approximate maximum range 18.6 miles M198 trailer howitzer 28.6 miles Caesar on the move howitzer 24.9 miles M777 trailer howitzer The difference between a trailer and self-propelled howitzer Russian D-30 and American M777 and M198 must be towed by a truck. The French Ceasar is a truck with a shell on it. Ukraine demands more self-propelled guns, such as the US M109 Paladin, less vulnerable to Russian anti-battery. Sources: Federation of American Scientists; oe.tradoc.army.mil; References GlobalSecurity.org and Post ARTUR GALOCHA / THE WASHINGTON POST Russian and Ukrainian artillery fields Examples of some artillery and its approximate maximum range 2.2 miles TOS-1 manifold rocket launcher 13.6 miles D-30 trailer howitzer 18 miles 2S19 motorhome howitzer 43.5 miles Smerch manifold rocket launcher Examples of artillery sent by NATO countries to Ukraine and its approximate maximum range 18.6 miles M198 trailer howitzer 24.9 miles M777 trailer howitzer 28.6 miles Caesar on the move howitzer The difference between a trailer and self-propelled howitzer Russian D-30 and American M777 and M198 must be towed by truck. The M777 can raise the cannon from 0 ° to 71.7 ° The French Ceasar is a truck with a shell on it. Ukraine demands more motorhomes shells, such as the American M109 Paladin, less vulnerable to Russian anti-battery. It can also raise the cannon from -4 ° to 72 ° Sources: Federation of American Scientists; oe.tradoc.army.mil; References GlobalSecurity.org and Post ARTUR GALOCHA / THE WASHINGTON POST Ukraine’s ability to target Russian artillery units is particularly important, analysts say, because of the Kremlin’s proven willingness to put pressure on cities and towns, destroying homes and civilian infrastructure. “Just having more Ukrainian artillery units firing with anti-battery batteries will undermine Russia’s ability to ‘sit there, stockpile ammunition and go to the city,’” said Scott Boston, a former U.S. Army artillery officer with the Russian army for Rand Corp. “The problem” that Ukraine and its Western allies “would like to impose on the Russians,” he said, immobile for a long time. “ The Pentagon on Friday said Russia was not as effective as it would have been in using long-range artillery. A senior defense official noted that as the West continued to send so much artillery to Ukraine, “this could become a bit of a weapon of war.” Artillery units are often disguised as camouflage or other forms of cover-up and may require a mixture of intelligence, drones and radar to detect them. The West is providing Ukraine with anti-battery drones and radar to do just that. What a difference it could make artillery construction? The longer the range of the artillery, the more the opponents have to think about how to place themselves on the battlefield. With a 30-mile artillery, this would be the scope of the border and controlled areas for the Russian and Ukrainian armies. Schismatic- controlled area Crimea Annexed from Russia in 2014 Control areas from April 27 Sources: Institute for the Study of War, AEI’s Critical Threats Project, publication of a report What difference could artillery make? The longer the range of the artillery, the more the opponents have to think about how to place themselves on the battlefield. With a 30-mile artillery, this would be the scope of the border and controlled areas for the Russian and Ukrainian armies. Schismatic- controlled area Crimea Annexed from Russia in 2014 Control areas from April 27 Sources: Institute for the Study of War, AEI’s Critical Threats Project, publication of a report What difference could artillery make? The longer the range of the artillery, the more the opponents have to think about how to place themselves on the battlefield. With a 30-mile artillery, this would be the scope of the border and controlled areas for the Russian and Ukrainian armies. Schismatic- controlled area Crimea Annexed from Russia in 2014 Control areas from April 27