• Thursday, 04 July 2024

US to release $2.3bn in new military aid for Ukraine

US to release $2.3bn in new military aid for Ukraine

Washington, 3 July 2024 (dpa/MIA) - The United States will soon supply Ukraine with a further $2.3 billion in military aid to bolster its almost 30-month fight against invading Russian forces.

The package approved by US President Joe Biden includes "more air defense inceptors, anti-tank weapons, and other critical munitions from US inventories," Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday during a visit to Washington by his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov.

A realignment of military supplies by other countries will also allow the US to provide ammunition for Patriot and other air defence systems "in an accelerated timeframe," Austin added. 

The new supplies come under one of several tranches provided since the US Congress released funds totalling some $61 billion to Ukraine in late April.

Since Russian launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US provided Kyiv with military aid totalling more than $50 billion, according to the Pentagon.

As a result of the renewed US military aid, Ukraine has been able to stabilise the situation on the approximately 1000-kilometre front line.

Since the start in May of a new offensive in the north-eastern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian forces have already been able to to reduce their firepower deficit.

According to media reports, only three Russian shells are fired in the area per one Ukrainian shell, compared with the previous five or more.

MIA file photo