The Pentagon will allow some citizens to go to Ukraine and help the soldiers in the war in a special way

The Pentagon is easing restrictions to allow a small number of private US defense companies to work in Ukraine to help repair and maintain military equipment, US officials said.

They will be far from the front lines and will not participate in combat, officials said. The US Department of Defense is currently seeking applications, officials said.

Over the past two years, Ukraine has received billions of dollars worth of American weapons and equipment, including several sophisticated systems. In most cases, agents from the US and allied militaries provide real-time maintenance advice using phones and tablets to communicate in encrypted chat rooms with Ukrainian forces.

According to officials, the Pentagon has now allowed contractors to go to Ukraine because high-tech expertise is needed for some equipment, including F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems. Officials said the use of contractors would ensure the weapons were quickly repaired so Ukrainian forces could continue to use them in combat.

This decision expands the range of US government contractors working in Ukraine. The State Department has already signed contracts with US companies to do work in Ukraine itself, including on the energy grid. In addition, several American companies have employees in Ukraine under contracts with the Ukrainian government.

Officials said companies will be responsible for the safety of their employees.