US announces new $400 million military aid package for Ukraine

Europe, News, US May 13, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

The United States revealed a fresh $400 million military aid package for Ukraine on May 10, 2024, adding to the wave of military support from Kyiv’s Western allies. The latest military aid from Washington comes when Kyiv struggles to hold Russian advancements in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

“Today, the United States is announcing a $400 million package of weapons and equipment to support the brave people of Ukraine,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote on Twitter announcing the latest military aid package for Ukraine. “The United States will continue to stand with Ukraine in the fight against Russia’s aggression.”

The latest package includes High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, accompanying rockets, and ammunition for Patriot and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems. Additionally, it comprises artillery, anti-aircraft and anti-tank munitions, and a variety of armored vehicles like Bradley and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles.

Furthermore, the aid will provide Ukraine with several coastal and riverine patrol boats, trailers, demolition munitions, high-speed anti-radiation missiles, protective gear, spare parts, and various other weapons and equipment.

These armaments are being dispatched under the presidential drawdown authority, a mechanism that extracts systems and munitions from current U.S. stockpiles to expedite their deployment to the conflict zone. Such a mechanism allows rapid deployment of munition and weapons to the conflict zone bypassing the process of seeking approval from the U.S. Congress, which usually takes weeks or months.

U.S. Army M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle — ^{Army Specialist Kenneth Black, assigned to Chaos Company, First Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, Third Armored Brigade Combat Team, Fourth Infantry Division, directs an M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle during a live-fire exercise at Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, on July 13, 2022. (Image Credit: U.S. Army National Guard/Sergeant Tara Fajardo Arteaga)}

This marks the third installment of aid for Ukraine by the United States, following the passage of supplementary funding by Congress in late April. The flow of military aid by the U.S. has continued after months of deadlock between the internal leadership.

The U.S. has now provided about $50.6 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.

Shortly after President Joe Biden signed the $95 billion foreign aid package, the Pentagon swiftly announced its decision to deploy $1 billion in weapons using the drawdown authority. Within days, the Biden administration further unveiled a $6 billion package funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. This initiative entails financing longer-term contracts with the defense industry, implying that the delivery of weapons could span many months or even years.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautioned earlier this week about the challenging circumstances his country is encountering in the east. However, he reassured that with a fresh batch of U.S. weapons on the way, Ukraine would be able to hold off Russian advances.

Ground situation

Russian forces initiated a ground assault on Kharkiv last week, leading Ukraine to mobilize reserve units in response to repel the attack. Earlier this year, Ukrainian forces were compelled to withdraw from Avdiivka due to a Russian offensive.

Russian armed forces destroyed a Ukrainian warehouse — *^{Russian armed forces destroyed a warehouse with drone boats handed over to Ukraine by NATO partners. (Image Credit: Russian Defense Ministry/TASS)}*

Over the weekend, Russia declared the capture of a total of nine villages, while Ukraine reported ongoing fighting and its successful defense against attacks. Hundreds of civilians residing near the frontlines have been evacuated.

The exact objective of Russia’s recent attacks remains unclear, but analysts believe that Moscow’s intention might involve establishing a buffer zone to mitigate Ukrainian incursions into Russian territory or to strain and divert the attention of Kyiv’s already stretched forces.