The Biden administration on Wednesday announced $300 million in military aid to Ukraine, the latest package of weapons and other military equipment the United States has sent to Kyiv since the start of the invasion. of Russia.
This package includes additional ammunition for the drone and long-range artillery. It also includes additional ammunition for Patriot air defense systems as well as ammunition for other air defense systems, including the Stingers, Avengers and Aim-7 systems, the Pentagon said in a statement. announced, as Kiev prepared for its long-awaited offensive to try to repel Russian forces and defend against air attacks from Moscow.
Defense officials said the aid also includes other artillery support, anti-armor weapons and tens of millions of small rounds.
Moscow was hit by a drone strike on Tuesday, a move the Kremlin has blamed on Kiev. A senior Ukrainian official said Kiev was not “directly involved” in the attack, although they were “very happy” to witness it.
So far, US officials say no US-made drones or weapons have been used in the attacks on Moscow. But the fact that the United States plans to send more ammunition to Ukraine’s drones shows how serious the Biden administration is about arming Ukraine before the counterattack, a Pentagon official said. on Wednesday. The types of anti-aircraft weapons in the shipment also show that the US is looking to give Ukraine an advantage in the context of Moscow’s continued offensive.
The Pentagon did not specify which drone systems are being supported with the drone munitions in the aid package. The United States has supplied Ukraine with both surveillance and attack drones over the past year, but officials have been reluctant to publicly describe exactly what systems were sent.
The Pentagon said the security assistance package for Ukraine from the United States since Russia’s invasion last February amounted to $37.6 billion.
“This authorization is the Biden administration’s 39th withdrawal of equipment from the DOD inventory for Ukraine as of August 2021,” the Pentagon statement said, referring to the Department of Defense supplies. room. “It covers key capabilities to support the Ukrainian air defenses as they bravely defend Ukrainian troops, civilians and critical infrastructure as Russia continues to kill civilians across the country. Ukraine.”
John F. Kirby, a spokesman for the White House, said Wednesday that the administration will continue to ship weapons through the rest of the fiscal year, which ends in the fall. “
As for when the administration needs to ask Congress for more money for Ukraine, Mr. Kirby said “we have time to figure that out.”
Michael D. Cut contribution report.
