The U.S. is sending more military aid to Ukraine as the country continues to fight off the Russian invasion. The Pentagon will be sending an additional $300 million worth of weapons systems to the Ukrainian military to help it fight the Russian invasion in the following days and weeks.
$300 Million Worth of Weapons
In its latest shipment of military aid to Ukraine, the U.S. is sending a variety of weapons systems designed to address the evolving nature of the Russian threat and the operational realities on the ground.
In the first shipments, the Pentagon focused predominately on anti-tank and anti-air weapons, such as the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile and the FIM-92 Stinger anti-aircraft weapon. But now, the military aid package includes more niche capabilities, such as unmanned aerial systems, suicide drones, and night vision devices.
More specifically, the Pentagon is sending Laser-guided rocket systems, Switchblade Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems, Puma Unmanned Aerial Systems, Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems, Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, Small-to-large caliber nonstandard ammunition, Night vision devices, thermal imagery systems, and optics, Tactical secure communications systems, Non-standard machine guns, Commercial satellite imagery services, Medical supplies, field equipment, and spare parts.
“Through USAI, DoD will provide up to $300 million in security assistance to bolster Ukraine’s capacity to defend itself. This decision underscores the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in support of its heroic efforts to repel Russia’s war of choice,” the Department of Defense said in a press release.
Since the Russian invasion began on February 24, the U.S. has sent Ukraine $1.6 billion in military aid. And in the last two years, Ukraine has received a total of $2.3 billion in military aid.
The Pentagon is sending the military aid under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which, unlike a Presidential Drawdown, has the authority to procure capabilities from the industry and not tap on the stocks of the U.S. military. In other words, the Pentagon will buy the weapons from companies and send them to Ukraine instead of sending its own.
“The United States also continues to work with its Allies and partners to identify and provide to the Ukrainians additional capabilities. The United States will continue to utilize all available tools to support Ukraine’s Armed Forces in the face of Russian aggression,” the Pentagon added.
Second Phase of the War
After more than a month of heavy fighting, the war in Ukraine has entered a new phase. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Kremlin advisers have understood that the Russian military is incapable of meeting the initial primary objectives they had set out; namely, to capture major Ukrainian urban centers, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa, and to topple the Ukrainian government, thus opening the way for a puppet state friendly to Moscow.
The second phase of the war will focus on eastern Ukraine and the Donbas region. The Russian military will try to capture Mariopul and create a land bridge with annexed Crimea.
1945’s New Defense and National Security Columnist, Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
