The United States will give Ukraine an additional $1.2 billion in long-term military aid to further bolster its air defenses as Russia continues to attack it with drones, rockets and surface-to-air missiles, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
The aid will flow under the Ukrainian Security Assistance Initiative. Unlike US equipment, weapons and ammunition shipped from Pentagon stocks, which can be delivered to Ukraine quickly, that money will be spent over the next few months or even years to ensure Ukraine’s future security needs.
The Pentagon announced that it will finance munitions and drones for air defense. It will also purchase artillery shells, ammunition for howitzers, assist in satellite techniques, and finance maintenance and spare parts for a variety of systems.
US officials said the weapons include HAWK air defense systems. The Pentagon stressed that the aid will build the Ukrainian military’s ability “to defend its territory and deter Russian aggression in the long term.”
The US will begin training the Ukrainian military in the use and maintenance of Abrams tanks
Including this package, the United States has provided Ukraine with nearly $37 billion in military aid since Russia invaded in February 2022.
The latest help comes as Ukraine prepares to launch a spring offensive against Russian forces, with air defense a lingering problem.
Ukraine’s air defenses shot down 35 Iranian-made drones over kyiv in Russia’s latest overnight assault, officials said. Debris from a drone struck a two-story apartment building in Kiev’s western Svyatoshynskyi district, while other debris struck a car parked nearby and set it on fire, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Russia has routinely turned to Iran’s Shahed drones to bolster its firepower. US aid packages have included systems to shoot down drones.
Associated Press/Politico/OnCuba.
