Rocket systems and rail strikes: Western arms on 1 June 2022
A look back at the day Washington and London committed to more rocket artillery for Ukraine, as Russian missiles hit a Carpathian rail line.
What did Ukraine's partners commit to on 1 June 2022, and what did it signal about the logistics of the war? The day brought two linked developments: new pledges of long-range rocket artillery, and a Russian strike aimed at the route by which such supplies travel.
Washington and London commit
On 31 May 2022, US President Joe Biden announced an 11th package of military assistance, including more advanced rocket systems and ammunition, among them High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), intended to help Ukraine strike key targets more precisely. NATO said it did not expect a corresponding response from Russia.
On 1 June 2022, the details emerged. As reported at the time, Mr Biden agreed to provide long-range rocket artillery after Ukraine gave assurances that it would not use the systems to strike Russian cities. The weapons form part of a new $700 million package that also includes ammunition, counter-fire radars, a number of air surveillance radars and additional Javelin anti-tank missiles.
The same day, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the United Kingdom had agreed to send more M270 multiple-launch rocket systems to Ukrainian forces and to train them in their use. The two pledges, from the United States and the United Kingdom, pointed in the same direction: more precise, longer-range fire for Ukraine's army, paired with conditions on how it would be used.
The supply line under fire
Also on 1 June 2022, Russian cruise missiles struck a railway station near the Beskyd tunnel in the Carpathians for the second time, wounding two people. Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister, said the attack aimed to stop rail traffic and halt deliveries of fuel and weapons from Ukraine's allies.
What the day showed
Taken together, the events show two sides of the same issue. Allied governments were widening the range of equipment available to Ukraine, and, according to Ukrainian officials, Russia was targeting the rail infrastructure that carries fuel and arms. The assurances over Russian cities showed that the political terms of the aid were being set alongside its military content.
