#announces #million #arms #package #Ukraine
The US Department of Defense on Friday announced a new $775 million package of defense equipment and ammunition for Ukraine, including various types of missiles, artillery and mine clearance systems.
The package includes more precision-guided missiles for the Himars systems, which have enabled Ukrainian forces to attack Russian command centers and ammunition depots far behind the front lines, as well as more anti-tank weapons, including TOW missiles and Javelin systems.
It also includes Scan Eagle surveillance drones, HARM (High-Speed Anti-Radiation) missiles focused on ground-based radar systems, and 105mm howitzers and 36,000 artillery shells for them.
“We want to ensure Ukraine has a steady flow of ammunition to meet its needs, and that’s exactly what we’re doing with this package,” a senior US defense official told reporters.
The official said Ukrainian forces have made good use of what are now 19 packages of weapons the United States has provided since Moscow invaded on February 24, helping them to mitigate the advance of Russian forces.
“You see a complete and utter lack of progress by the Russians on the battlefield,” the official told reporters for the sake of anonymity.
“You see the Russians are still paying a heavy price with Ukrainian attacks, especially with the Himars system,” the official said.
“They bear these costs and cannot move forward.”
The official acknowledged that the Ukrainians themselves were unable to retake significant areas along the front lines in the east and south of the country.
But the new weapons package will help strengthen them, the official said, noting that it is very important “to maintain the successes that we have seen from the Ukrainians on the battlefield.”
The official said the addition of demining equipment, which includes 40 mine-resistant vehicles with rollers that safely detonate mines, should help Ukrainians in more offensive actions.
“Ukrainians will need these kinds of skills to be able to advance their forces and retake territories,” the official said.
Likewise, the deployment of HARM missiles is aimed at undermining Russian air defenses.
The air-to-surface missiles sharpen emissions from radar systems and can be used to attack from a range of 50 kilometers.
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