Additional $500 Mln US Security Assistance For Ukraine
The United States has announced an additional security assistance package worth $500 million aimed at providing key capabilities to support Ukraine’s counteroffensive operations against mounting Russian attacks.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken authorized Washington’s 41st drawdown of arms and equipment from the Pentagon stocks for Ukraine.
The latest round of assistance from the Department of Defense includes Bradley and Stryker vehicles, additional munitions for air defense systems, artillery, and multiple launch rocket systems, anti-tank weapons, anti-radiation missiles, precision aerial munitions, and other essential resources tailored to bolster Ukraine forces’ battlefield survivability, strengthen its air defenses and help them retake Ukraine’s sovereign territory, Blinken said.
The capabilities in this package include critical munitions for U.S.-provided Patriot air defense systems and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS); Stinger anti-aircraft systems; Demolitions munitions and systems for obstacle clearing; Mine clearing equipment; 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds; 30 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles; 25 Stryker Armored Personnel Carriers; Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles; Javelin anti-armor systems; AT-4 anti-armor systems; Anti-armor rockets; High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs); Precision aerial munitions; Small arms and over 22 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenades; Thermal imagery systems and night vision devices; Testing and diagnostic equipment to support vehicle maintenance and repair; Spare parts, generators, and other field equipment.
Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder underscored the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine in announcing the latest round of aid.
“As we have since the beginning of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion, the U.S. will continue to work with our allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements,” he said.
The latest round of U.S. military assistance comes amid a period of upheaval within Russia’s borders following an armed revolt by Wagner Group mercenaries.
President Joe Biden said on Monday that his government remains focused on coordinating with allies and supporting Ukraine as his national security team monitors the fallout from the weekend’s events.
Meanwhile, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a Putin ally, confirned that Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was in Belarus.
Source: Read Full Article