Delays in the provision to Ukraine of Western weapons prevented it from continuing its counteroffensives.

The West did not comply with Ukraine’s request to transition from Soviet to Western weapons, which was voiced as soon as the West undertook action to aid Ukraine in defending itself against the Russian invasion. Delays in providing long-range systems, advanced air defense systems, and tanks have limited opportunities for larger-scale counteroffensive operations, analysts at the ISW believe. Ukraine did not have a strong defense industry before entering the war; it was almost entirely dependent on its Western partners to provide the necessary equipment to stop the initial offensive and to begin counterattacking. Thus, Western aid models strongly influenced Ukraine’s ability to develop and implement effective campaign plans. If the West had begun transferring modern weapon systems to Ukraine in the summer of 2022, this would have allowed Ukraine to continue the counteroffensive following the liberation of Kherson and thereby deprive the Russians of the opportunity to regroup their forces and regain the initiative.