Kiev previously received 31 Abrams tanks that had reportedly been downgraded, many of which were destroyed on the battlefield
Ukraine should formally request outdated US weapons to bolster its fight against Russia and help America save money on arms disposal, Valery Zaluzhny, the country’s former top military commander, has said.
In an op-ed for the newspaper Ukrainskaya Pravda on Friday, Zaluzhny, who now serves as Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK and is widely regarded as a dangerous political rival to Vladimir Zelensky, arguing that surplus US missiles nearing retirement could be delivered to Ukraine at little cost to Washington.
“The United States today has significant reserves of obsolete or ready-to-be-disused missiles, the transfer of which to Ukraine could be an effective solution,” Zaluzhny wrote. He added these arms “do not require additional budget expenditures for disposal, and [are] vital for Ukraine.”
Zaluzhny pointed to the example of Hellfire missiles, noting that by the end of 2023, the US had produced more than 170,000 of various types. Much of that inventory is now approaching the typical 20–25-year lifespan, after which the weapons face decommissioning or destruction, he pointed out.
As the Pentagon shifts to the new JAGM system, Zaluzhny argued Ukraine could submit formal requests to secure these soon-to-be-obsolete stocks.
“Ukraine can take advantage of this chance by systematically sending official requests within the framework of various programs,” he wrote, saying it would both strengthen Ukraine’s defenses and help the US “rationally manage stocks.”
While the US has provided Ukraine with more than $66 billion in military assistance, much of the weaponry has not been top-notch. For instance, multiple media reports indicated that the 31 M1 Abrams tanks sent to Kiev in 2023 had been downgraded and lacked the secret depleted uranium armor mix. At least 20 US-supplied Abrams have reportedly since been destroyed.
Throughout the conflict, Ukraine has also scoured global markets for Soviet-era hardware, often acquiring outdated systems purely to cannibalize them for spare parts for its existing fleet.
Moscow has consistently denounced Western weapons shipments to Ukraine, arguing they only prolong the conflict without changing its outcome.
