The Biden administration approved an additional $725 million in security aid to Ukraine on Friday as the country recovers from Russia’s recent barrage of missile attacks on civilian targets.
The Presidential Withdrawal includes “munitions, weapons and equipment from US Department of Defense stockpiles,” Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement Friday.
The additional aid brings total U.S. military aid to Ukraine through January 2021 to more than $18 billion, Blinken said.
The assistance includes high-velocity anti-radiation missiles (HARMs), anti-tank weapons and small arms, as well as munitions for High Mobility Artillery Missile Systems (HIMARS) and small arms, according to a Defense Department press release. The aid package also provides medical supplies, more than 200 high-mobility vehicles and thousands of artillery shells and Remote Anti-Armor Mine (RAAM) rounds.
“We will continue to stand by the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence with extraordinary courage and boundless determination,” Blinken said. “The capabilities we offer are carefully calibrated to make the biggest difference on the battlefield for Ukraine.”
The announcement of additional aid follows a brutal week of deadly Russian raids in Ukraine, including the Kiev region, on civilian targets. The strikes have crippled Ukraine’s electricity systems, forcing people to cut consumption to avoid blackouts.
The strikes were seen as retaliation for the recent explosion on the Crimean bridge that curtailed road and rail traffic, dealing a blow to Russia’s military effort in Ukraine.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday after a NATO ministerial meeting that other countries have pledged to help Ukraine as well. Spain will provide additional “Hawk” air defense systems to Ukraine, Austin said, and, according to the Ministry of Defense announcement, Germany recently delivered the first of four IRIS-T air defense systems to Ukraine.
CNN previously reported that Western sanctions have severely limited Russia’s ability to replenish the munitions it uses in Ukraine, according to a new analysis by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, prompting Moscow to task its intelligence agencies with finding ways to circumvent restrictions and procure critical technology and spare parts to sustain its war effort.
