VIDEO The first images of Romanian ammunition received by Ukrainian soldiers: 122 mm shells manufactured by Romarm in 2022

A video recording appeared on social networks shows that Ukrainian soldiers received shells manufactured in Romania by Romarm in 2022 in the context in which the authorities in Bucharest refuse to specify what ammunition and weaponry they sent to Ukraine.

The administrators of the Ukraine Weapons Tracker account note that the shell is loaded into a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer with a 122-millimeter turret, a combat vehicle that entered service with the Soviet armed forces in 1972.

The 2S1 Gvozdika howitzer was exported or produced under license in all former Soviet bloc states, including Romania, which put into reserve the 6 2S1 models it had since 2005, as well as another 42 OAPR model 89 (Romanian Self-Propelled Howitzer , model 89), an indigenous variant of the weapon that combined the turret of the Soviet model with the chassis used by the MLI-84 (Model 1984 Infantry Fighting Vehicle).

According to the Romarm website, the 122 millimeter shells it produces have a warhead of 3.5 kilograms and a total weight of 21.76 kilograms. Depending on the weapon using them, they can hit targets up to a maximum distance of 15,290 meters and a muzzle velocity of 690 meters/second.

What Ukraine said about the weapons received from Romania

In a joint press conference held in Bucharest on April 22 alongside Bogdan Aurescu, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba avoided answering unequivocally whether Romania sent ammunition and weaponry to Kiev, stating that Ukraine distributed a list of its military needs to all NATO and EU member states “and each country decides”.

“If each country decides to give us just one item we will get what we want. I raised this matter (in the meetings with Ciucă and Aurescu-nr) and I appreciate the constructive approach. But we leave it up to the countries to decide what to do”, said Dmitro Kuleba.

“In certain cases we see that countries can do something, they can supply certain weapons, but they don’t do it because they don’t want to have a bad relationship with Russia. We increase diplomatic and then public pressure. This is not the case of Romania. What we do not accept is hypocrisy. Fortunately, this is not the case in Romania. She was friendly and open,” he said.

Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu stated instead that he does not think “that it is good to talk too much publicly about these things”.

“What I can assure you is that Romania, as a member state of the EU and NATO, is an extremely responsible and responsible state in terms of fulfilling its international obligations, in terms of supporting Ukraine in all fields, respectively in relation to our partners. As you know, the EU supports these efforts, NATO and the member states support these efforts”, said the head of Romanian diplomacy.

“But as the president and prime minister said, things are in a permanent evolution and I don’t think it’s good to talk too much publicly about these things,” Aurescu emphasized.

President Iohannis refused to specify what military aid Romania is sending to Ukraine

Bogdan Aurescu’s comments came after President Klaus Iohannis stated in a press conference held on April 12 that it is not good to make “long public statements” on this issue.

“Obviously, military aid is also sent to Ukraine by NATO, a very good thing, by the way. I don’t think, however, that it is very good to make long public statements about what one country or another is doing specifically in this field”, answered the president, after being asked what weapons Romania is sending to Ukraine.

He reiterated his position during another press conference in early July, saying that “it is wise not to give vital information to the adversary.”

“I can tell you what I said on other occasions. We are at war, not in a situation that we talk about, quietly, over coffee. The war is going on right next to us and it is wise not to give vital information to the adversary. We publicly declare that we help Ukraine with everything we can, and that’s what we’re doing,” he said.

Asked about the discrepancy between Romania’s communication and that of neighboring countries that publicly announced what they sent to Ukraine, Klaus Iohannis answered that:

“This is our approach because we are direct neighbors of Ukraine and we believe that it is better for us and for Ukraine to help them.”

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