US to send $3bn in new military assistance to Ukraine

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The US will send nearly $3bn in new weapons and equipment to Ukraine in the largest single tranche of security assistance given by Washington since Russia’s war on Ukraine began, aimed at sustaining Kyiv’s forces through a protracted conflict.

Announcing the new aid on Ukraine’s independence day on Wednesday, US president Joe Biden said the package would include air defence systems, artillery systems and munitions, counter-unmanned aerial systems and radars, all intended to ensure Ukraine “can continue to defend itself over the long term”.

“The United States of America is committed to supporting the people of Ukraine as they continue the fight to defend their sovereignty,” Biden said in a statement.

The weapons included in Wednesday’s announcement will be procured from the US defence industry and from other countries, rather than drawn from existing US weapons stocks. They are expected to take several months to arrive on the battlefield.

Wednesday’s package represents “multiyear investments to build the enduring strength of Ukraine’s armed forces”, said Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder.

It includes six additional advanced surface-to-air missile systems, known as Nasams; up to 245,000 rounds of artillery ammunition; Puma drones; Vampire counter-unmanned aerial systems and laser-guided rocket systems. The $3bn will also fund training, maintenance and sustainment, Ryder said.

This package is designed to meet Ukrainian forces’ longer-term needs and to signal Washington’s determination to continue to support Kyiv through what is likely to be a lengthy conflict.

The additional defensive capabilities detailed by the US are unlikely to satisfy Ukrainian officials’ more immediate pleas for offensive weapons, which they say are needed to help keep Russian forces at bay in southern Ukraine.

Wednesday’s announcement is part of a $40bn assistance package that Biden signed in May and is intended to last at least through the autumn. The US has so far committed more than $10bn in lethal aid to Ukraine since February 24.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Biden for the new assistance, calling the package “unprecedented”. “Together we will win,” he said.

The new aid follows a weapons provision announcement last week including systems from US stockpiles to help Ukraine press a counteroffensive in the south, including artillery, mine-clearing, missile and anti-armour capabilities.

Ukraine is facing stepped-up Russian attacks on Wednesday coinciding with the independence day holiday. The US state department warned on Tuesday that Russia would renew its efforts to launch strikes against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days.