As Kiev gets ready for a long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia, President Biden approved the shipment of another $300 million worth of weapons to Ukraine on Wednesday.
According to the Pentagon, the package will also include more HIMARS rockets, an undisclosed number of 155mm howitzers and supporting artillery, mortar rounds, tube-launched TOW missiles, small arms and related ammunition, and AT-4 and Carl Gustaf shoulder-launched anti-armor weapons systems.
Notably, the US is also sending helicopter-launched Hydra-70 aircraft rockets.
Previous packages have primarily provided ground-launched munitions as Russia and Ukraine battle for air superiority more than 14 months after the invasion by Moscow.
It’s the first package sent since highly sensitive Pentagon documents leaked last month revealed that on Feb. 28, intelligence officials predicted Ukraine’s air defense forces would be fully exhausted by May 23 without further reinforcement.
The package also includes some non-offensive military equipment, such as trucks and trailers; diagnostic equipment for vehicle maintenance and repair; demolition munitions for obstacle clearing; and “spare parts and other field equipment,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
Kyiv is expected to launch a renewed counter-offensive in days to liberate Ukrainian territory that Russia has claimed.
