In a statement, Mr. Biden specified that this new tranche of aid will include equipment very effective […] already delivered
to Ukraine by the United States, but also new parts suitable for the larger assault we are planning from Russia into eastern Ukraine
.
I assured President Zelensky that the American people will continue to stand with the brave people of Ukraine in their fight for freedom.
Mr. Biden continued in the press release, at the end of a telephone conversation of about an hour with President Zelensky.
During a press briefing, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby explained that the package of measures announced on Wednesday was designed to meet the urgent needs of Ukrainians in today’s fighting
specifying that the equipment comes from existing stocks of the American army.
According to a list provided by the Pentagon, this new tranche of aid includes, among other things, 18 M777 Howitzer howitzers and 40,000 155 mm artillery rounds, 11 Mi-17 helicopters, 10 AN/TPQ36 mobile anti-artillery radars and two radars AN/MPQ64 Sentinel anti-aircraft missiles, 500 Javelin anti-tank missiles and thousands of other anti-tank systems
200 M113 armored personnel carriers, 100 Humvee light armored vehicles, 300 Switchblade kamikaze drones as well as equipment for protection against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons.
As Russian troops look set to take over the strategic port of Mariupol and expand their offensive from the Black Sea, the announced new delivery also includes unmanned coastal defense vessels. However, their quantity was not specified.
According to AFP, these drones
Floating vessels are particularly designed for anti-mine dredging, but can also be equipped with sensors for maritime and underwater surveillance.
The equipment is all immediately available and will be delivered as soon as possible
said Mr. Kirby.
Washington changes its aid
The arsenal of Western anti-tank missiles delivered to the Ukrainians makes it possible to destroy armored vehicles, buildings and enemy positions at a distance of more than 2 kilometers. Ukrainian soldiers here fire an American-made Javelin during an exercise last December.
Photo : AP
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This is the first time the Biden administration has provided artillery to Ukraine, Kirby said, noting that the battle for Donbass would be different from that for the failed conquest of kyiv.
Russian forces are less dispersed than at the start of the invasion, and the terrain in the east of the country is different, he said. It’s the kind of place where you would expect the Russians to use tanks and heavy artillery to achieve their objectives before sending in the soldiers.
Washington is the largest supplier of international military aid received by kyiv since last fall.
Wednesday’s announcement brings the total amount of US military aid provided to Ukraine so far since Joe Biden took office to approximately US$3.2 billion, including US$2.5 billion since the start. of the Russian offensive on February 24.
According to a list published last week by the White House, the United States has so far delivered or promised Ukraine 1,400 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 5,000 Javelins, 7,000 other anti-tank weapons, several hundred drones Switchblade, 7,000 assault rifles, 50 million bullets and various ammunition, 45,000 batches of bullet-proof vests and helmets, laser-guided rockets, Puma drones, anti-artillery and anti-drone radars, light armored vehicles, secure communication and anti-mine protections.
Earlier in the day on Wednesday, the European Union (EU) for its part approved additional military aid equivalent to some 684 million Canadian dollars. In total, theEU allocated $2 billion in aid to help kyiv defend itself against Russian forces.
Slovakia last week agreed to send a Soviet-era S-300 air defense system to Ukraine after Washington agreed to its request to position a more modern American-designed Patriot system in Slovakia.
Pentagon meeting with arms manufacturers
Officials from the US Department of Defense also met during the day with the eight biggest players in the military-industrial complex, including General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin, to discuss the possibility of a accelerated production
of certain weapon systems.
The dialogue focused on accelerating the production and fielding of systems that are critical to the department’s continued security assistance to Ukraine, as well as broader efforts to increase the readiness of U.S., allied and partner forces
said a spokesperson.
In particular, it was a question of weapons and equipment that can be exported quickly, deployed with minimal training, and proven effective on the battlefield
.
Moscow serves up a caveat
In an interview with the Russian news agency TASS, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also reiterated Moscow’s warnings against Americans and other Westerners
whose vehicles will transport weapons to Ukraine.
« We warn that we will consider US and NATO weapons transports through Ukrainian territory as legal military targets. »
Attempts to slow down our ”special operation”, to inflict maximum damage on Russian troops and formations in the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics will be harshly suppressed
he threatened.
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