Pentagon announces $400 million military aid package for Ukraine from US

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In response to escalating warfare, including attacks now reaching Moscow and Crimea, the Biden administration has authorized the dispatch of an additional $400 million in military support to Ukraine, the Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday. This aid will include a diverse array of munitions for sophisticated air defense systems and a fleet of compact, Hornet surveillance drones.

The support package comprises a variety of ammunition, from missiles designed for the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) to Stinger and Javelin missiles. The equipment is being supplied through the president’s drawdown authority, a provision allowing the Pentagon to rapidly allocate items from its own reserves for delivery to Ukraine, often within a matter of days.

The United States will also send 32 Stryker armored vehicles, howitzer artillery rounds, demolition equipment, mortars, Hydra-70 rockets, and 28 million rounds of small arms ammunition. The Hornet drones, tiny nano-drones primarily used for intelligence gathering, have been received by Ukraine from other Western allies in the past.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. has furnished more than $43 billion in military aid. This most recent allocation follows the striking of an ammunition depot in Russian-occupied Crimea by a Ukrainian drone, and accusations by Russia of a drone assault on Moscow. Russian media reported one drone coming down close to the city center, near the Defense Ministry building.

The Ukrainian authorities have not yet publicly acknowledged the strike, which marked the second drone attack on the Russian capital in the current month.

Simultaneously, Russia’s armed forces launched fresh attacks on port infrastructure in southern Ukraine using explosive drones. These strikes, which have inflicted considerable damage to the port over the past week, were described by the Kremlin as retaliation for the Ukrainian attack on the Kerch Bridge, a vital link between Russia and Crimea, last week.

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Tara Copp, a writer for Big Big News, contributed to the report.

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This story was initially published on Monday, July 24, 2023. It received updates on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, including an official confirmation from the Pentagon.

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More about U.S. Military Aid to Ukraine

• US military aid to Ukraine
• Biden Administration’s stance on Ukraine
• Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
• Escalation of warfare in Moscow and Crimea
• High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
• National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS)
• Presidential drawdown authority