US Sends Additional $725 Million In Military Assistance To Ukraine

The White House on Friday accounded additional military assistance valued at up to $725 million to Ukraine, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

The new aid, which will bring total U.S. military assistance for Ukraine to more than $18.3 billion since the beginning of the Biden administration, is aimed at restocking ammunition for advanced weapons systems used in Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

Citing 'the mounting evidence of atrocities by Russia’s forces' amid recent bombardment of targets across Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Kyiv would receive additional arms, munitions and equipment from the Pentagon.

The Pentagon in its turn, broke down the assistance as follows:

- Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);

- 23,000 155mm artillery rounds;

- 500 precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds;

- 5,000 155mm rounds of Remote Anti-Armor Mine (RAAM) Systems;

- 5,000 anti-tank weapons;

- High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs);

- More than 200 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs);

- Small arms and more than 2,000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition;

- Medical supplies.

Speaking to reporters Friday afternoon, a senior defense official said that air defense capabilities "are a crucial need" for Ukrainian forces battling the Russian invaders, and the U.S and its allies and partners "are working" to get those capabilities to Ukraine,

The Russians have recently launched hundreds of rockets at the major Ukrainian cities, according to the official. Ukrainian forces have had some success at shooting down the missiles, but they need more air defense capabilities. 

In the meantime, the official went on to add, "We do assess that the Ukrainians continue to make some advances on the battlefield."

In Kerson, Ukraine's forces are pursuing the Russians along three lines of attack toward the city. The Ukrainians have liberated a number of villages and towns and are approaching the point where they are forcing the Russians to make some decisions in terms of how and what they want to choose to defend, the official said.

There are 6 Russian ships operating in the Black Sea, and they have fired rockets toward Ukraine; all have been intercepted, according to the defence official.

Speaking about air defense, the official said, it "does not come cheap". For every missile or aircraft knocked down, it's safe to assume that a number of missiles were fired. Keeping these supplies up and increasing the integration of the air defense picture is key for Ukraine.

The recent Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Brussels addressed this, and the U.S., along with a number of allies and partners, is working to get these capabilities to Kyiv.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.