Ukraine desperately needs foreign help, and three European countries have already responded.

As part of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, a Ukrainian artillery brigade commander in the east of the country recently revealed to the Financial Times that the reallocation of Ukrainian military resources to the north, particularly toward Russia's Kursk region, has contributed to the Russian forces' advances in the Donetsk region. This strategic decision, though necessary for certain offensive operations, has impacted the defense of Ukraine's front lines.
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A Ukrainian serviceman prepares artillery shells for US-supplied M777 (Picture source: Kateryna Klochko)

According to the commander, his troops are now forced to ration ammunition for their guns, a situation that hasn't occurred since U.S. military aid to Ukraine was suspended by Congress. The shortage of ammunition is partly due to its reallocation to the Kursk operation, leaving Ukrainian forces in the east of the country under-equipped to resist Russian offensives.

it's reported that even before the Kursk operation began, defenses in the Donetsk region were already showing signs of weakness. Since then, Russian forces have continued to break through Ukrainian lines, capturing villages and towns, bringing Moscow closer to its goal of full control over the Donetsk region.

The Kursk operation, which involved the mobilization of over 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers, including elite troops and mechanized brigades, required the redeployment of forces from eastern Ukraine. This redeployment included units originally intended to reinforce defenses and provide relief to troops on the Donetsk and Kharkiv fronts. However, it left the remaining troops in these regions without adequate reinforcements and regular rotations, increasing their fatigue and reducing their effectiveness on the battlefield.

The losses in military equipment during the Kursk operation were also significant for Ukraine, with 51 pieces of equipment destroyed, including vehicles provided by Germany and the United States. In comparison, Russia reportedly lost 27 pieces of military equipment.

Between August 19 and 20, 2024, three European countries announced new aid packages to Ukraine.

On August 19, the Danish government announced a new military aid program worth $115 million for Ukraine. This program aims to address Ukraine's short- and long-term defense needs. The funds will be used to purchase new military equipment from Ukraine's defense industry and international partners. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated that Denmark is taking a new step with its 20th military aid package, which will provide Ukraine with much-needed military equipment to make a difference against Russia's aggressive war.

On August 19, German government spokesperson Wolfgang Buchner stated that Germany will provide Ukraine with four additional IRIS-T air defense systems of various ranges by the end of the year. In addition to the IRIS-T systems, Germany will also deliver 10 Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, 16 self-propelled howitzers, 10 Leopard main battle tanks, drones, and thousands of artillery shells and tank munitions. Buchner also mentioned that in 2025, Germany will deliver 20 self-propelled howitzers, 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 37 Leopard main battle tanks, five Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, six additional IRIS-T systems, and thousands of additional artillery shells and munitions.

On August 20, Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová announced that the Czech Republic will use part of the revenue from frozen Russian assets in the EU to purchase large-caliber ammunition for Kyiv. European countries hold about two-thirds of the $300 billion in Russian sovereign assets frozen after the outbreak of the full-scale war. While hesitant to outright confiscate the assets, the EU has developed a plan to use the exceptional profits to finance Ukraine's reconstruction and defense needs.