Kiev’s forces are treating expensive high-precision Western arms as highly expendable, the paper’s sources have said
British defense officials have accused Ukrainian forces of “wasting” expensive Western weapons and equipment, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. According to the newspaper, NATO and Kiev are at odds over aspects of military strategy in the conflict with Russia.
The Telegraph quoted British sources as complaining that Ukraine is attempting to use NATO-supplied weapons in accordance with traditional Soviet-style combat tactics, resulting in significant losses of valuable military resources.
One military adviser described Ukraine’s use of UK-supplied NLAWs antitank missiles, which cost £2,000 ($2,500) each, as reckless. The missiles are being fired “as if they were RPGs,” the source told the Telegraph, referring to inexpensive Russian shoulder-fired grenade launchers.
The adviser is said to have observed instances when a massive barrage of NLAWs was launched at Russian positions, with each salvo costing more than £100,000.
The paper noted the apparent conflict between NATO and Soviet-style military strategies. While Soviet-era military doctrine emphasizes overwhelming firepower, often relying on infantry-led offensives and probing attacks to wear down the enemy, NATO troops prioritize precision strikes and maneuverability to achieve battlefield success.
However, Ukrainian troops have reportedly justified their reluctance to accept NATO tactics, arguing that they fail to align with the realities on the ground. These disagreements have reportedly led to tense exchanges, with one alleged incident in which British trainers had to “reach… for their sidearms due to the threat of violence.”
Telegraph sources also accused the Ukrainians of abandoning reusable Javelin missile command launch units (CLU), which cost over $100,000 each and often end up in Russian hands. “The Russian army probably has more Javelins than the British Army now,” a source claimed, adding that while he and his colleagues support Ukraine, the UK’s effort to back Kiev “was built around lies.”
The Telegraph report comes as UK defense officials have warned that the country’s military is currently “hollowed out” and underfunded due to years of neglect. British MPs have sounded the alarm that London is woefully unprepared for a “high-intensity” war.
Despite these concerns, the UK has pledged £7.8 billion in military aid to Ukraine, which includes tanks, air defense systems, and long-range precision strike weapons.
Russia has repeatedly denounced Western arms shipments to Ukraine, arguing they only prolong the conflict without changing its outcome, while increasing the risks of a direct Moscow-NATO clash.
