Biden administration announces new military aid for Ukraine
Mike Brest
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The Biden administration has announced a new round of military aid to Ukraine valued at $300 million, and it will include a short-range air-launched rocket for the first time.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre first announced the planned assistance at Wednesday’s press briefing, saying it includes more ammunition for United States-provided weapons such as High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), howitzers, artillery, and mortar rounds and anti-armor capabilities.
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“It follows extensive work by the U.S. government over the past few months to fulfill Ukraine’s requests ahead of its planned counteroffensive and ensure they have the weapons and equipment they need,” Jean-Pierre said.
This package is being authorized via the president’s drawdown authority, the 37th since Russia’s war began, which means the weapons will come from current U.S. stockpiles and will go to Ukraine sooner than otherwise. It brings the total amount of military aid the U.S. has donated to Ukraine to more than $35 billion over the course of the war.
Kyiv is expected to launch its highly anticipated counteroffensive in the near future, where they will look to retake Russian-occupied territories, mainly in the southern and eastern parts of the country.
For the first time, the U.S. is providing Hydra 70 aircraft rockets, air-launched unguided rockets made by General Dynamics. They may help Ukrainian ground forces advance by providing air support.
“This latest package will help Ukraine continue to bravely defend itself in the face of Russia’s brutal, unprovoked, and unjustified war. Russia could end its war today,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. “Until Russia does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
Russia and Ukraine have seemingly escalated the fighting away from the front lines of the war this week, ahead of Ukraine’s expected counterattack.
Within the last week, Russian forces have continued to target Ukrainian cities with rockets and missiles, including killing more than 20 people when a Russian rocket hit an apartment building in central Ukraine, while two Ukrainian drones hit a Russian oil depot in Sevastopol, Crimea, resulting in a massive fire that sent smoke billowing into the air.
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The Kremlin, on Wednesday, also accused Ukraine of an assassination attempt against Russian President Vladimir Putin, though Ukrainian officials have denied any attack and warned that this could be another false flag operation by the Kremlin.
The White House revealed earlier this week that Russia’s military has incurred about 100,000 casualties, including 20,000 killed, in Bakhmut, which is where the fighting has been mainly concentrated, since December. The Kremlin has disputed these tallies.