A $400 million military aid package announced by the Pentagon on Friday will provide surface-to-air missiles, artillery shells and other much-needed weapons and equipment to thwart Russian advances into war-torn northeastern Ukraine. It will be provided to Ukraine.
Friday’s package is the third round of aid for Kyiv since Congress approved $60 billion in additional funding last month.
This includes ammunition for the Patriot Air Defense System and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System. Stinger anti-aircraft missile. High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Ammunition. Howitzer shell. High-speed anti-radiation missile (HARM). Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. Includes equipment such as the M113 armored personnel carrier; a Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicle;
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the firepower heading toward Kiev was “important” and “urgently needed” as Russian forces make renewed efforts to capture Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv. .
“As President Biden has made clear, the United States and the United Nations coalition we have assembled will continue to support Ukraine in defending its freedoms,” Blinken said. statement.
This package also includes coastal and river patrol vessels. Trailer; TOW and Javelin missiles. AT-4 anti-armor system. Precision aviation and destruction munitions. Ammunition for small arms. grenade. Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protection equipment and spare parts.
The weapons are being sent through the president’s withdrawal authority, which is drawn from existing Pentagon stockpiles.
This is the 57th shipment of military equipment provided to Ukraine from the Department of Defense inventory since August 2021.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that he wants to deploy weapons to the battlefield as soon as possible.
“This is exactly what we need. Thank you,” Zelenskiy said of the new aid package in a speech. daily address.
“We are working on logistics so that all weapons can prove their worth on the front lines as soon as possible,” he added.
President Zelenskiy, 46, indicated that the Russian military was expanding operations in Kharkov, near Russia’s border, and said it had committed more personnel to the region as a result.
The White House believes new aid packages and upcoming shipments of defensive and offensive weapons will prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from achieving much in Ukraine, at least until the end of the year.
White House National Security Council Press Secretary John Kirby said: “While it is possible that Russia may make further advances in the coming weeks, we do not expect any major developments.” said on friday. “And over time, with the influx of aid from the United States, Ukraine will be able to withstand these attacks during 2024.”
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the United States has provided approximately $50.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
