Secret arsenal: Romania's hidden military aid to Ukraine
Although Romania officially reports only the Patriot missile battery and training support for Ukrainian F-16 pilots as assistance to Ukraine, it has provided much more. Here's what else Romania has offered.
According to Defense Express, a Romanian war correspondent suggests that keeping such secrets is pointless, as equipment can still be identified through open sources, and there's more than just the Patriot system battery. For instance, firearms provided by Romania, like large-calibre machine guns such as the DSzKM, have Cugir markings, indicating they were manufactured at the Uzina Mecanic Cugir factory.
Additionally, heavy equipment can be recognized by its camouflage and markings, such as the APR-40 multiple rocket launchers (a copy of BM-21 Grad), Model 89 howitzers (a licensed version of the 2S1 Gvozdika), or TAB-71 transports (BTR-70). Romania is also supplying Ukraine with artillery ammunition.
Soviet-era systems and ammunition — goods currently hard to source in the West
Despite Western equipment supplies to Ukraine, most of the heavy equipment the Ukrainians are using is still Soviet. New Western equipment, like the M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, primarily went to new or reformed units, while other units received Soviet-era equipment.
This was the optimal solution, as veterans could begin using it after only short training. Together with Bulgaria, Poland, and the Czech Republic, Romania has been an essential supplier of Soviet-era ammunition to Ukraine.
Romanian 122 mm Soviet-era artillery for Ukraine — more valuable than it seems
The self-propelled 2S1 Gvozdika systems provided, despite a range of about 15 kilometres and relatively low impact strength with shells containing about 3 kilograms of TNT, are a significant support for Ukraine.
Firstly, it is a self-propelled system, allowing for faster relocation of firing positions compared to towed howitzers. Secondly, the steel armour protects the crew against artillery shrapnel.
Meanwhile, the APR-40 launchers can cover a significant area with a salvo of 40 rockets of 122 mm calibre, each usually armed with a 19-kilogram fragmentation warhead with a range of over 30 metres. Variants also have cluster warheads containing anti-armour bomblets or mines. The range of the most common rockets is around 19 kilometres, but new variants, such as the Polish M-21 "FENIKS," can reach 40 kilometres. This is a force to be reckoned with.
