Washington 25 August : The US has announced a new tranche of security assistance to Ukraine that is estimated at $3 billion.It is the largest single-time assistance to Kiev that was announced at the time the conflict between Russia and Ukraine was reaching its half-year mark.Based on a breakdown released by the Department of Defense (DoD) The DoD has revealed that the items in the recently announced package include the following: six more National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) with additional munitions for NASAMS as much as 245,000 rounds of artillery ammunition 155mm in diameter up to 65,000 rounds of 120mm mortar ammunition as well as up to 24 counter-artillery radars Puma Umanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and other support equipment to Scan Eagle UAS systems, “Vampire” counter-UAS systems and laser-guided rocket systems Xinhua news agency reported.
The DoD stated in the statement released on Wednesday that the weapons would be procured through contracts with manufacturers of arms, with the DoD tapping the funds approved by Congress for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative to purchase the weapons.
This is distinct from the Presidential Drawdown Authority through which President Joe Biden has so far approved 19 tranches of weapons delivery to Ukraine from DoD’s existing stocks.
The US has pledged to more than $13.5 billion in security aid to Ukraine since Biden became president.
Wednesday marks the 31st anniversary of Ukraine’s of its independence from the Soviet Union and the half-year date of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Biden stated in an earlier statement in the day that most recent weapons aid, which is worth $2.98 billion, the most of this kind to date is part of Washington’s commitment to assist “the Ukraine’s people of Ukraine while they fight to protect their sovereign rights.”
int/shs