With small, portable weapons, Ukraine's fighters keep Russia at bay

https://www.npr.org/2022/03/19/ [login to see] /with-small-portable-weapons-ukraines-fighters-keep-russia-at-bay
Russia has a huge firepower advantage in its war on Ukraine. In keeping with its military tradition, Russia is relying on heavy weapons such as tanks, artillery guns and fighter jets.

Yet the Ukrainians have far exceeded expectations on the battlefield by making the most of smaller, but more mobile weapons systems, including a number of key ones provided by the United States.

Here are some commonly asked questions regarding Ukraine's weapons:

Q. What has been the most important weapon in Ukraine's arsenal?

Javelin missiles. Outside military circles, these weapons first received widespread attention in 2019 when then-President Donald Trump held his infamous phone call with Ukraine's new elected president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy pleaded for more Javelins, which the U.S. was already supplying, to defend against the pro-Russia military forces already in the east of Ukraine.

The Trump administration was delaying the delivery of military assistance, and the U.S. president asked for a political favor — an investigation of the Bidens.