Howitzers arrive in Ukraine, first in pledged weapons package from Germany

FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov waits for the start of the Ukraine Defense Consultative Group group meeting hosted by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, at U.S. Airbase in Ramstein, Germany, April 26, 2022. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

KYIV (Reuters) - German self-propelled howitzers have arrived in Ukraine in the first delivery of heavy weapons promised by Berlin, Ukraine's defence minister said on Tuesday.

Ukraine has pleaded with the West to send more and better artillery as the country runs out of ammunition for its existing Soviet-era arsenal, which is dwarfed by Russia's.