On Thursday, January 16, 2024, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Kyiv, during which he announced a new package of defense support for our country. This package included the transfer of 150 artillery barrels, and it seems that some of our media interpreted this as the British preparing to provide the Armed Forces of Ukraine with an additional 150 artillery systems.
In reality, the situation is more straightforward; Keir Starmer was referring specifically to the barrels for British-manufactured artillery systems that our forces had previously received. However, this indicates that the British were able to address a task within just six months that significantly simplifies the combat operations for the artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
To begin with, we can rely on how the words of the UK Prime Minister are reported, for example, by The Kyiv Independent, which states that "the U.K. would send Ukraine 150 artillery barrels produced by Sheffield Forgemasters, the first such barrels manufactured in the U.K. in over two decades." Thus, we see that the original wording specifically mentions "artillery barrels," rather than terms like "guns" or "howitzers."
It is also important to note the reference to Sheffield Forgemasters, as this company was mentioned back in July 2024 when the UK expressed its intention to restore the production of barrels for artillery systems like the AS90, with a caliber of 155 mm, and the L119, with a caliber of 105 mm, for which a loan of £2 billion was allocated.
The significance of the UK resuming production of artillery barrels and its readiness to supply 150 units to Ukraine can be illustrated with a practical example – as of May 2024, it was known that the British had provided the Armed Forces of Ukraine with 50 AS90 self-propelled howitzers and another 12 units of this type for the role of "parts donors", while the British themselves had only 30 AS90 units remaining at that time.
The role of "parts donors" implies that the vehicle cannot be used for its intended purpose, and only necessary components, such as the barrels, can be salvaged from it.
The practice of transferring a certain number of units as "parts donors" arose not from a position of strength, but because it has been challenging to find the necessary components for artillery globally. Therefore, the fact that the UK has resumed production of artillery barrels for the first time in 20 years significantly eases the future combat activities for the artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The next aspect is that the West has clearly learned one of the fundamental lessons of the Russo-Ukrainian war: that it is crucial for artillery on the battlefield not only to have a sufficient supply of shells but also a sufficient supply of barrels for the systems. The actual rate of fire for artillery has proven to be significantly higher than any metrics that NATO militaries had previously imagined.
Thus, a broader picture emerges – while 150 artillery barrels may seem like a symbolic contribution, it nonetheless reflects a substantial shift in the strategic support that the UK has provided to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.