New $400 million US military aid package to strengthen Kyiv’s artillery and air defense systems

AFP | Washington                     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The United States yesterday announced a new $400 million military assistance package for Ukraine featuring ammunition for artillery and air defense systems.

The announcement on the aid - which will be drawn from US military stocks - comes as Ukrainian troops press ahead with a slow-moving counteroffensive against invading Russian forces.

The package includes munitions for both Patriot and NASAMs air defense systems as well as Stinger missiles, 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, 32 Stryker armored personnel carriers, and more than 28 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenades, the Pentagon said in a statement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the assistance is aimed at “strengthening Ukraine’s brave forces on the battlefield” and “helping them retake Ukraine’s sovereign territory.”

“The people of Ukraine continue to bravely defend their country against Russia’s aggression while Russia continues its relentless and vicious attacks that are killing Ukrainian civilians and destroying civil infrastructure,” Blinken said in a statement.

The US has spearheaded the push for international support for Ukraine, quickly forging an international coalition to back Kyiv after Russia invaded and coordinating aid from dozens of countries. Washington has committed to providing more than $43 billion in military aid to Kyiv since Russia invaded in February 2022.