According to two U.S. officials speaking to VOA, the United States is about to announce a new military aid package for Ukraine worth up to $150 million. This aid uses a special authority that lets the U.S. send weapons, ammunition, and equipment from its own military supplies to help Ukraine right away.
One official, speaking anonymously prior to the announcement, disclosed that the aid package includes munitions essential for HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) and other critical supplies. Notably absent from the package are cluster munitions, as clarified by the official. Details regarding long-range ATACMS missiles sought for their operational significance, were withheld for security reasons.
U.S. Plans $150 Million Military Aid for Ukraine Amid Heightened Regional Tensions with Russia
ATACMS missiles possess a range of up to 300 kilometers, significantly extending the striking capability beyond Ukraine’s current missile systems. General C.Q. Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged ongoing U.S. support in this regard, affirming the supply of ATACMS under the presidential drawdown authority.
Tensions have heightened as Russia accuses Ukraine of deploying U.S.-supplied ATACMS in recent lethal attacks within Crimea and near Russia’s Belgorod region, areas contested since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. In response, Russia summoned the U.S. ambassador to Moscow to register its protest against the missile use.
This latest aid package draws from the $61 billion allocated to Ukraine under U.S. legislation signed by President Joe Biden in April, underscoring ongoing American support amid escalating regional tensions.
