The Ukrainian Defense Minister says that half of Western weapons arrive later than promised Ukraine

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustam Umarov said that his country is “losing territory” in its brutal war with Russia because “50%” of the weapons promised by Western partners failed to reach Kiev on time.

Speaking a day after the second anniversary of the large-scale invasion of Moscow, Umarov said his forces had built new fortifications and “thousands of redoubts.” But he said delays in supplying Western equipment had led to setbacks and deaths on the battlefield.

“We have a plan. We are working on the plan. We are doing everything that is possible and impossible. But without the timely presentation [of western arms] He admitted that it is difficult for us.

According to Umarov, Russia spent $150bn (£119bn) on its all-out attack on Ukraine, equivalent to 15% of its total GDP. As Republicans in the House of Representatives in Washington blocked the US military aid package, the Ukrainian armed forces began to run out of air defense missiles and artillery shells.

The F-16 planes promised by an international coalition that includes the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium have not yet arrived. It is expected sometime this spring. Umarov said history has shown that it is impossible for any country to win a war without “air superiority.”

Despite these shortcomings, he added, Ukraine reclaimed the Black Sea by using drones to sink Russian warships. He added that the organization also regained lands in the northeast and south of the country, referring to the liberation of the Kharkiv region and the city of Kherson in 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to outline his vision for how Ukraine can win against Russia at a news conference later on Sunday. He will address the media against a darker backdrop, at home and abroad, and after the recent loss to Russia in the eastern frontline city of Avdiivka.

Umarov, a Muslim Tatar from Crimea, has been in office since September. His predecessor Oleksiy Reznikov was fired after a series of corruption scandals involving his ministry. Last year, two senior officials lost their jobs amid allegations that food contracts for troops were inflated.

“For me, corruption in wartime is worse than terrorism,” Umarov said. He said his colleagues working with other government agencies are taking action to “eliminate the ways of corruption” and prevent the problem.

He added that Ukraine has significantly increased drone production and is building its own version of the Russian Lancet drone. It has also produced models capable of flying 500 miles to strike strategic targets deep inside Russia, in addition to more than a million first-person drones.

Officials noted that at a time of artillery shortage, home-made drones will be the first line of defense, as Russia attempts to advance with armored vehicles and infantry. “This is a war of firsts. It is the first war in which more than 8,000 missiles were fired at Ukraine and with the widespread participation of drones.”