The Pentagon announced a new package of long-term security assistance for Ukraine on Friday, marking the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion with a $2 billion commitment to send more rounds of ammunition and a variety of small, high-tech drones into the fight.
The package is part of a larger effort to keep the Ukrainian military equipped and ready for potential future offensive operations against Russian forces. Since Russia’s invasion of the country, the United States has committed more than $32 billion in aid to Ukraine.
A key issue for the Pentagon is balancing the demands of Ukraine’s frontlines with its own readiness imperatives and interests. This challenge is particularly acute as Russia seeks to reverse its course and regain some of the territory it seized.
In the meantime, Russia has been firing rockets at civilian targets across Ukraine, including a string of deadly air strikes that killed nearly 50 people last week and 31 missile attacks on Sunday alone. In response, Kyiv has asked for a variety of small, high-tech aircraft and munitions to thwart Moscow’s attacks.
This week, Reuters and CNN reported that Washington could supply Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems. The system, which can shoot down both planes and ballistic missiles, would help blunt Russian attacks on Ukrainian air bases. But Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, has called the plan “another provocative step” and said any U.S. transfer of Patriots to Ukraine would make Russian forces legitimate targets for attack.
Among the new equipment that the Pentagon plans to send is a ground-launched, bomb-tipped rocket called the Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB). It will double the range of Ukraine’s standard HIMARS rockets, allowing the country’s defenders to hit enemy command posts and weapons depots with far more precision.
Another key weapon is the Stryker armored personnel carrier, an enlarged version of the U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle that can be used to transport troops. It can carry a crew of up to six and is light enough to be able to move quickly on the battlefield.
The package also includes money for additional munitions for the HIMARS system and for artillery rounds and munitions for laser-guided rocket systems. It also provides M1 Abrams tanks, a critical piece of equipment for a Ukrainian army that has lost tens of thousands of soldiers in the fight with Russia.
In addition to providing more weapons for Ukraine, the US will help train its troops on how to use them. It is also providing new training and maintenance facilities, and buying intelligence sharing, mine clearing and communications equipment.
Amid a continuing series of deadly Russian air and missile attacks against Ukraine, President Biden vowed to remain fully behind the Ukrainian government in its fight against pro-Moscow forces. During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month, Biden told Zelenskyy that he had only one wish for Ukraine in 2023: victory and that he would keep doing what was necessary to achieve that.
