For the first time on Friday, the U.S. announced that it would provide Ukraine with Scan Eagle surveillance drones, mine-resistant cars, anti-armour rounds, and howitzer weapons to assist Ukrainian forces in regaining lost ground and mounting a counteroffensive against Russian invaders.
According to a senior defence official, the new $775 million aid package will consist of 15 Scan Eagles, 40 MRAPs (mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles) with mine-clearing rollers, and 2,000 anti-armour rounds to enable Ukrainian troops to advance in the south and east, where Russian forces have planted mines.
As the war rages on, the official claimed that the U.S. is attempting to assist in forming and arming the Ukrainian force of the future.
According to a statement from Secretary of State Antony Blinken, “these capabilities are carefully calibrated to make the most difference on the battlefield and strengthen Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table.”
This most recent assistance comes as the six-month mark of Russia’s war on Ukraine approaches.
It brings the amount of military assistance provided by the United States to Ukraine since the Biden administration began to about $10.6 billion.
It is the 19th time since August 2021 that the Pentagon has given Ukraine equipment from Defense Department inventories.
Despite having previously sent howitzer ammunition, the U.S. is now sending 16 of the weapon systems.
Along with 1,500 anti-tank missiles, 1,000 javelin missiles, and an unspecified number of high-speed, anti-radiation or HARM missiles that are intended to hit radar systems, the aid package also includes these weapons.
In an effort to fend off Russian forces and retake territory that Moscow has gained, Ukrainian forces have been using a variety of precision artillery systems with some degree of success.
On the condition of anonymity and in accordance with Defense Department guidelines, the defence official briefed reporters on the new weapons assistance.
The eastern Ukrainian Donbas region, where pro-Moscow separatists have been in control of some territory as self-declared republics for eight years, has been the focus of Russia’s efforts for the majority of the last four months of the war.
As Ukraine intensifies its attacks in Ukraine’s Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, Russian forces have made some minor gains in the east but have also been forced to the back foot in other areas.
Moscow took control of the occupied Russian territory in 2014. Last week’s strikes at an airbase in Crimea reportedly resulted in the destruction of nine Russian warplanes, demonstrating the Ukrainians’ ability to launch attacks from behind the enemy’s lines.
The attack on the facilities in Crimea, according to Russian leaders, is an escalation of the conflict sparked by the U.S. and its NATO allies and threatens to draw America further into the conflict.
According to a Western official, the conflict is “nearly operationally at a standstill,” with neither side able to launch significant offensives.
The campaign’s overall pace has slowed, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss military assessments.
This is in part because both sides understand that “this is a marathon, not a sprint” and that spending money wisely and conserving ammunition are crucial.
However, according to U.S. and Western officials, Ukraine has been able to launch successful attacks far behind Russian battle lines, which is reducing the logistical support, command, and control, and morale of Moscow’s forces.
Despite not being able to recapture much ground, the U.S. official claimed that Ukrainian troops had been able to significantly weaken Russian positions in a number of locations.
Fighting has been subdued through continued efforts as well. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine met with the head of Turkey and the U.N. chief on Thursday in western Ukraine.
They talked about a variety of topics, such as prisoner swaps and an initiative to invite U.N. nuclear energy experts to the southern Ukrainian nuclear plant Zaporizhzhia.
Since shortly after the invasion started on February 24, the facility has been under Russian control and has been the target of several explosions. A catastrophe on the continent is being feared internationally as Kyiv and Moscow accuse one another of shelling the plant.
Given that the majority of the issues discussed would require the Kremlin’s approval, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would follow up with Russian President Vladimir Putin.