While waiting for military support, Ukrainians have been forced to improvise to keep their frontline troops supplied. Engineers are "cannibalizing" scrap artillery at a Ukrainian military facility, essentially making one functional artillery gun from what's left of many damaged ones.

Kyiv

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

In an effort to maintain their defense capabilities amid reduced Western arms deliveries, Ukrainian army engineers have turned to resourceful methods of repairing and repurposing damaged weapons. At a Ukrainian military facility, the practice of "cannibalizing" scrap artillery has been adopted. This involves utilizing parts from numerous damaged weapons to assemble a single functional artillery gun, a testament to the improvisation required in the face of dwindling supplies.

The facility acts as both a demonstration of the usage of Western military technology and a center for salvaging viable equipment from the wreckage brought back from the front lines. The American counterparts of the Ukrainian engineers have been surprised by the extent of the repairs and repurposing undertaken, showcasing a stark contrast in practices between the two countries. Initially, the weapons received by the Ukrainian facility were recognizable artillery pieces, but over time, the condition of these deliveries has severely declined, pushing the engineers to adopt more unconventional repair methods.

The decline in Western arms deliveries was noticed by the Ukrainian engineers in the midst of 2023, even before a notable delay in current funding was acknowledged. They attributed this reduction to the exhaustion of initial Western stockpiles and the lag in new production catching up after a year of conflict. Despite these challenges, the Ukrainian engineers continue to piece together functional artillery from a combination of new, salvaged, and improvised parts, often treating shrapnel-damaged equipment with a level of care likened to medical rehabilitation.

However, the engineers acknowledge the limitations of their "cannibalization" process. They have had to resort to unexpected solutions, such as repurposing components from commercial machinery, and have begun manufacturing simpler spare parts domestically. The necessity for larger, more complex parts that cannot be locally produced remains a significant challenge. The delay in U.S. aid and the adaptation to using salvaged and improvised parts underline the urgency and resourcefulness displayed by Ukraine as they face the possibility of a diminishing defensive capability against advancing forces.



How Ukraine salvages damaged weapons

This heap of scrap was once an M-77 artillery gun. It's just a tiny part of the weapons graveyard at this Ukrainian military facility. It's where Western military tech comes from the front lines. To prove to Western donors that it's being used as intended, but more importantly, to be salvaged. Our American counterparts just can't get their heads around it. When they see what we do, they don't have the words. They wouldn't even think about sending this kind of stuff to scrap, let alone repairing it. We used to get guns sent to us that you could still recognize as artillery pieces. That's not always the case anymore, but it's not like we have a choice. With Western arms deliveries reduced to a trickle, these Ukrainian army engineers have had to improvise. They call it cannibalism here, making one functional artillery gun from what's left of many damaged ones. The engineers here tell us they noticed a drop-off in deliveries halfway through 2023, even before the current funding delay. Back then, initial Western stockpiles were exhausted after a year of war, but new production had still not caught up. Workers here are essentially putting together puzzles of different parts every single day. Some new, some salvaged, and some improvised. They come in with shrapnel injuries, but we manage to get them healthy again. You could think you were speaking to a doctor, but the fighting at the front lines is so intense that this man's patients are often back in the repair shop within weeks. I've had situations where the same gun comes back to me with fresh damage, two, three or even four times. This one's almost finished, and it's ready to go back to the front lines. But there's only so much that cannibalizing damaged equipment can do. That's where unexpected solutions come in. This was stripped from a commercial digger. It's not an improved solution in the gun's manual, but it works. Ukrainian firms are now also producing many of the simpler spares. We don't need American belt screws and rubber seals. We can do all that ourselves. What we need are the big parts. We can't make ourselves. If we don't get them, I guess we'll find a way. We'll put something together out of the scraps we have. But it's going to cost us time. Time that Ukrainian troops on the front lines don't have. Russia is already taking advantage of Ukraine's declining firepower to push forward. If U.S. aid is held up any longer, many here in Ukraine worry that the slow retreat of recent months could soon turn into a rout.

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Ukraine Invasion