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Several European countries have been shipping weaponry to Ukraine to support the country’s resistance against Russian invasion. While most of this weaponry has supported Kyiv’s war effort, some have garnered harsh criticism for their poor performance.
In particular, the Mod63 120mm mortar provided by Italy has been a massive disappointment for Ukrainian forces, according to the latest Italian media report.
Lorenzo Cremona, a war correspondent for Corriere della Sera, an Italian daily newspaper, reported from the frontlines in the Bakhmut region that Ukrainian soldiers were criticizing the Mod63s for being ineffective against the threat posed by Russian weapons
According to Cremona, three Ukrainian gunners – 53-year-old Nikolay, 44-year-old Oleg, and 27-year-old Ivan – were talking among themselves, saying how they were very disappointed” by the 120 mm Mod63 mortars supplied by Italy five months ago.
“They are much worse than their WWII Soviet counterparts,” the Ukrainian gunners reportedly said about the Mod63s.
The gunners further continue, saying the Mod63s supplied to them are old and outdated models manufactured in 1996, and their optical and aiming systems date back to 1947.
Further complicating the issue are problems with ammunition deliveries from Italy, limiting the mortar’s utility. “Our unit did get 6, though Ammunition never arrived from Rome,” said one of the Ukrainian gunners.
Due to the lack of ammunition, Ukrainian soldiers are forced to fire American and Polish grenades using the Mod63 mortar; however, the problem is the Italian ammunition meant for the mortar weighs 30 kilos each, and as per the manuals, the gunner should be able to fire eight rounds per minute.
Whereas the American and Polish grenades weigh only 16 kilos, which reduces both the accuracy and range of the shot, and Ukrainian forces can only fire two shots per minute with them, which do not reach beyond 3-4 kilometers.
