US Announces $450 Mln Additional Military Aid To Ukraine

The United States will release the latest tranche of military assistance to Ukraine worth $450 million, including additional long-range rocket systems, to help it fight the Russian attacks.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he is authorizing the thirteenth drawdown of arms and equipment from U.S. Department of Defense inventories for Ukraine’s defense since August 2021. This will bring total U.S. security assistance to Ukraine to more than $6.1 billion since Russia’s invasion of that country on February 24.

Capabilities in this package include four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems; 36,000 rounds of 105 mm ammunition; 18 tactical vehicles to tow 155 mm artillery; 1,200 grenade launchers; 2,000 machine guns; and 18 coastal and riverine patrol boats.

The steady flow of U.S. security assistance, and that from our coalition of more than 40 Allies and partners, continues to bolster Ukraine’s defenses, improves its ability to defend its sovereign territory, and secures hard-fought victories on the battlefield, Blinken said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Russia has intensified attack on Severodonetsk, forcing Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the embattled eastern city after months of bloody combat.

“The Ukrainian armed forces are performing a professional, tactical retrograde in order to consolidate their forces in positions that they can better defend themselves,” a U.S .Defense official told reporters in a background call.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his country’s gratitude to US President Biden and the American people for the latest package of military aid.

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