President Joe Biden’s administration is set to send a new security assistance package to Ukraine, bringing the U.S. military and humanitarian aid to a total of over $7 billion since Russia invaded Ukraine the neighboring nation on February 24, according to a senior U.S. defense official, Ukrinform’s own correspondent reports.
The $400 million weapons package was agreed upon with Ukrainian officials and is tailored to the wider Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas.Heavy artillery platforms, like howitzers and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, sit high on Ukrainian military wish lists, CNBC reported.The official said the latest security package will include four additional HIMARS, which brings the total number of HIMARS transfers to Ukraine from U.S. arsenals to 12. U.S. troops will keep training Ukrainian forces on how to operate the systems at a location outside the country, the official added.
The official said that the latest tranche of weapons will include additional ammunition for HIMARS, 155 mm howitzers, rounds of ammunition for the howitzers, three tactical trucks, counterbattery systems, and other equipment.
As Ukrinform reported last week, the U.S. administration announced a security assistance package to Ukraine in the total amount of $820 million. It included additional missiles for HIMARS systems, NASAMS anti-aircraft missile launchers, about 150,000 ammunition shells for 155 mm howitzers, and counterbattery radars.
