"The center is located in the attic of a modest U.S. military barracks in Stuttgart, Germany. Dozens of military personnel from 26 countries were there day and night to deliver weapons to Ukraine. ”
"Through this room, Western allies have helped deliver nearly $8 billion worth of weapons and ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces."
Recently, the BBC said it was "rare" to be granted access to a military centre coordinated by Western countries to supply weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. According to the BBC, most of what happens at the centre is highly classified...
Screenshot of the BBC report
The BBC reported that "the centre is located in the attic of a modest U.S. military barracks in Stuttgart, Germany." Dozens of military personnel from 26 countries were there day and night to deliver weapons to Ukraine. ”
"Here we are asked to leave all electronic devices behind and we are not allowed to shoot and not to speak to Ukrainians from the International Donor Coordination Group (IDCC)." The BBC stressed that much of what happened at the centre was highly confidential.
In this room, military personnel from dozens of countries are tapping on phones and flipping through computer screens. Among them was a small team from Ukraine, led by a three-star general. At the beginning of each day, he would make a list of what his country needed.
The BBC writes: "The situation in Donbass seems to be getting bleaker, but here it is more of a sense of urgency than panic. ”
Through this room, Western allies have helped ship nearly $8 billion worth of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine's armed forces. According to a British official's calculations, it weighs 66,000 tons, equivalent to 5,000 London double-decker buses.
Around a group of tables, there is a team responsible for finding supplies. Sometimes they find a country that is willing to provide weapons, but then they have to track down another country to find suitable ammunition or modes of transport. They have also developed a database in which Ukrainians can list their priorities. Donor countries can access this information and decide what they are willing and able to offer.
According to the report, IDCC was established in late February this year, led by the United States and the United Kingdom, and merged the independent work led by the United States and britain. Ukraine's demands have also changed significantly over the past few months.
At the beginning of the war, they transported small arms and ammunition, such as anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles. Now the Ukrainians are demanding heavier weapons — artillery, multiple rocket launchers and air defense systems.
In the early days of the conflict, idcc tried to procure weapons and ammunition stockpiles from the old Soviet Union from former Soviet bloc states, the same system that the Ukrainian armed forces have been using for decades. Chris King says those supplies have slowly been depleted. There is now only one plant in Europe that produces 152 mm gun ammunition compatible with the above system.
They are slowly transitioning to NATO standard equipment. In the past few months, Ukraine has received more than 100 M777 American howitzers and 300,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition.
This presents additional challenges, as Ukrainian troops need to be trained in how to use weapons and ammunition. IDCC is organizing training outside Ukraine, and some Ukrainian troops are currently training in the UK for new artillery and British-supplied multiple rocket launchers. Simpler systems can be taught virtually via video and training manuals.
Brigg Chris King, a senior British officer, said: "If we don't do enough, we will leave a hidden danger for future conflicts. ”
Brig Chris King, a senior British military officer, said military aid was being shipped to various places by air, road, rail and sea to "ensure that we don't have any single point of failure".
He revealed that Russia had tried to step up attacks on supply lines, but there had been no "significant" disruptions in the supply lines.
The BBC asked if any supply lines had been hit.
"Yes, I suppose there is," he replied.
Rear Admiral Duke Heinz of the U.S. Navy said: "I believe they (Ukraine) will not run out of ammunition. ”
Rear Adm Duke Heinz, senior commander of the U.S. military at IDCC, said the task of transporting weapons and ammunition across the border was left to the Ukrainians themselves. "In Poland and other countries, Ukrainians come and get their own goods. So they are the ones who decide how the goods cross the border. Once the weapons cross the border, they can reach the front line 'within 48 hours'.
Recently, Ukraine warned Western countries that it would receive too few weapons and too late. Ukraine's deputy defense minister said that so far the country has received only 10 percent of what it asked for. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy has also repeatedly pressed the United States and Western countries to give more weapons assistance.
But in Stuttgart, Major General Heinz unexpectedly pointed out: "I'm sure they won't run out of ammunition."
He also stressed: "I wouldn't say they're losing, I would say they're sticking to their positions. ”
Neither Maj. Gen. Heinz nor Chris King believed the conflict would end soon, and they both said they were prepared to do the job for a long time.
When the BBC asked how long it would be, Chris King replied, "It's not going to be months, I think we're going to be here for years."
Some within NATO have questioned whether the West is really prepared for a conflict that could last years. In Stuttgart, they know the stakes can't be higher. Maj. Gen. Heinz described the task of supplying weapons and ammunition to Ukraine as "the most important work accomplished by this command" since the establishment of the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) in 1952.
Chris King called it "a generational moment," which he said was a stark choice: "We're either going to help Ukraine fight or accept that fact, maybe not right away, but in the next few years, we're going to fight elsewhere." If we don't do enough, we will sow the seeds for future conflicts. ”
Since 2018, Ukraine has received U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank missiles, Czech artillery and Turkey's Bayraktar drones, as well as other NATO-style weapons, according to public reports. Recently, the United States and Canada have sent them the latest British-designed M777 howitzer, which can fire GPS-guided Excalibur shells. Biden also signed a $40 billion military aid program.
On June 15, after a phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky, US President Biden "officially announced" a $1 billion military assistance plan to Ukraine, including 18 howitzers, 36,000 shells and two sets of "Harpoon" shore-based missile systems.
This article is an exclusive manuscript of the Observer Network and may not be reproduced without authorization.