Not Enough Artillery Rounds For Both War Zones: U.S. Diverting Ukraine-Bound 155mm Shells to Israel

Military Watch:

Not Enough Artillery Rounds For Both War Zones: U.S. Diverting Ukraine-Bound 155mm Shells to Israel


October-21st-2023



U.S. Army M777 155mm Gun


The United States Military is planning to divert thousands of 155mm artillery shells originally intended to be provided to Ukraine for delivery to Israel, after the Israeli Defence Forces reportedly informed the Pentagon that the shells were needed to prepare for a possible ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. 

This follows not only the outbreak of full scale hostilities between the Gaza-based militia Hamas and Israeli forces, but also multiple exchanges of fire between Israeli and Hezbollah forces - the latter being a major paramilitary group and political party based in Southern Lebanon. 

According to the officials the shells will arrive in Israel in the coming weeks. The report comes a day after U.S. President Joe Biden visited Israel and expressed strong solidarity with the country’s military efforts, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing that Biden had promised a “massive, unprecedented” package of military aid. 

Although the Biden administration and its European allies have been very strongly supportive of arming Ukraine, Israeli needs for armaments have bolstered already rising Republican opposition to further shipments to the Eastern European country.

The diversion of supplies comes at a time when Ukrainian forces have been left reeling from months of failed offensives and recent casualties in the high tens of thousands. It was widely predicted by multiple Western sources that failure in the costly and overwhelmingly Western funded offensive would only further strengthen calls to reevaluate further aid. 

Arms shortages have reportedly already long been an issue for the Ukrainian Army, with Russia’s defence sector not only having increased munitions production manifold for several key classes of weapons systems, but also reportedly recently sourced significant new quantities of munitions from North Korea. 

As Ukraine appears increasingly poorly positioned to achieve its military objectives, the diversion of munitions to Israel may provide a face saving option for the Western Bloc to reduce its investment in the Ukrainian war effort and press Kiev back to the negotiating table.