Ukraine’s Defense Minister Says It Has ‘Passed Test’ on New U.S. Guided Rockets, Needs More

“We need to refresh our platoons and change them and make replacements also because we also have a lot of losses,” he mentioned in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “We are waiting for more armor, more weaponry from our partners. We need to rebuild some directions and to refresh our fortifications and plan a new operational strategy.”

He mentioned the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, the long-range launchers referred to as Himars, have been a “game-changer,” enabling Ukraine to focus on Russian forces within the northeastern city of Izyum, however added: “The war is grim… We need more. We need it quickly.”

After some early hesitation over considerations the techniques might be utilized by Ukrainian forces towards Russian territory, reluctantly drawing the U.S. into the battle, Washington mentioned it could initially ship 4 Himars to Ukraine, and prepare Ukrainian forces to make use of them. These superior techniques are cell launchers able to placing targets from a most distance starting from about 60 kilometers to almost 500 kilometers relying on the kind of ammunition used.

Russian officers have sharply criticized the U.S. choice to provide Himars, saying Washington is pouring gas on the hearth and threatening to reply if the techniques are used to focus on Russian territory.

Ukrainian and U.S. officers mentioned Ukraine had additionally used U.S.-supplied Harpoon missiles to take out a Russian provide ship on the Black Sea—key to their capability to recapture the strategic Snake Island.

“We needed to persuade them, to show them proof,” mentioned Mr. Reznikov. “In the Izyum case, we were precise [in targeting] a Russian command center for aerial operations. It was really precise. Our partners saw it and said, ‘You passed the test.’”

Ukrainian forces within the japanese Donbas area have been outgunned and outmanned by Russian forces, which have made incremental progress capturing territory in latest weeks. Ukraine has been urgent its allies to offer even longer-range missiles that can be utilized with Himars, referred to as the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, which have a spread of as much as 300 kilometers. Washington up to now hasn’t agreed.

“The Russians are using their MLRS’s, which can go 120 kilometers,” mentioned Mr. Reznikov, referring to Russian-made multiple-launch rocket techniques. “So we need to have something a little bit longer: 150 [kilometers]. We’ll get there.”

Besides long-range weapons, topping Mr. Reznikov’s wishlist are extra armed autos, together with tanks, in addition to extra unmanned aerial autos, or drones, notably as Ukraine ramps up naval operations to battle Russian ships positioned within the Black Sea, that are at present liable for a blockade stopping Ukraine’s crucial grain supplies from reaching the worldwide market.

He mentioned drones, together with these despatched by the U.S. and different companions, are constantly being jammed by Russia and don’t have the counter-jamming software program wanted to achieve the higher hand.

This month, the Pentagon introduced $820 million in new Ukraine military aid that features superior mid- to long-range air-defense techniques and counter-artillery radars to answer Russia’s heavy use of long-range strikes within the battle. Mr. Reznikov described the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems the U.S. is sending, which may hit targets at a distance of 160 kilometers, as Ukraine’s “next Easter cake.”

However, since Nasams batteries can solely cowl one metropolis or an object, Mr. Renizkov mentioned it could be necessary to mix them with different trendy air-defense techniques pledged by different Western companions.

He mentioned shorter-range missiles that at one time had been essential to the battle—such because the U.S.-made FGM-148 Javelin missile system, British-made NLAW or the MILAN-2 antitank techniques from France and Italy—are nonetheless wanted, however “not the priority anymore” given the altering nature of the battle to long-distance artillery warfare.

Mr. Reznikov mentioned that Russia seems to be taking an “operational pause” in its offensive in Donbas, which is made up of the japanese Donetsk and Luhansk areas, to regroup and resupply. He mentioned that this doesn’t essentially current a possibility for Ukrainian forces, which want relaxation and must swap out combating items and resupply.

But artillery duels and airstrikes stay intense within the entrance line in japanese Ukraine the place Russia is focusing its efforts. On Saturday evening, Russian forces destroyed an residence constructing in Chasiv Yar within the Donetsk area, a strike that left 15 useless and 5 wounded, in line with Ukraine’s emergency service.

Ukrainian protection officers mentioned Russia focused civilians within the strike, however reporters noticed victims in uniform pulled from the rubble. The Russian Ministry of Defense had mentioned in its night replace on Saturday that the goal was a weapons depot.

Luhansk regional governor

Serhiy Haidai

mentioned this week that the not too long ago captured cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk are nonetheless reeling, with 1000’s of civilians now dwelling beneath Russian occupation. He mentioned greater than 300,000 individuals have left the Luhansk area alone.

In the northeastern Kharkiv area on Sunday, Russian forces fired rockets on the districts of Osnovyansk and Slobodsky, destroying a faculty and hitting a number of residential buildings. Shelling additionally continued in Izyum, Bogodukhov, Chuguev and town of Kharkiv, the area’s governor, Oleh Synyehubov, mentioned on his official Telegram channel.

Mr. Synyehubov appealed to residents to be vigilant, noting that Kharkiv’s “neighbor,” Russia, fires on the area indiscriminately.

Mr. Reznikov described the battle in Kharkiv as an issue for Ukraine, saying its location alongside the border has enabled Russian forces to fireplace long-range techniques on the area from Russian soil, typically on the expense of civilian and residential areas.

“It’s a problem,” he mentioned. “Our antimissile systems can fight with their ballistic and cruise missiles—it’s not 100% but we can get them. But we cannot close the sky against their MLRS’s.”

—Yuliya Chernova and Alan Cullison contributed to this text.

Write to Vivian Salama at vivian.salama@wsj.com