Biden Admin OKs Additional $325M in Military Aid to Ukraine

The Biden administration said Wednesday it has approved an additional $325 million in military aid to Ukraine, including additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, advanced missiles, and anti-tank mines as Kyiv’s launch of a spring offensive against Russian forces nears.

The Pentagon said in a news release it is the 36th such security package for Ukraine that the Biden administration has authorized since August 2021. The equipment will be taken from Defense Department inventories and will bring the total amount of security aid given to Ukraine to $36.1 billion, according to Pentagon data.

“We will continue to stand with our Ukrainian partners in response to of Russia’s continued war of aggression,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a news release. “… This new security assistance will enable Ukraine to continue to bravely defend itself in the face of Russia’s brutal, unprovoked, and unjustified war.

“Russia could end its war today. Until Russia does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”

Besides ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), the Pentagon said the package includes 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds; tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missiles; AT-4 anti-armor weapons systems; anti-tank mines; demolition munitions for obstacle clearing; more than 9 million rounds of small arms ammunition; four logistics support vehicles; precision aerial munitions; testing and diagnostic equipment to support vehicle maintenance and repair; port and harbor security equipment; and spare parts and other field equipment.

Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, told The Associated Press in an interview published Monday that it is only a matter of time before the country achieves the necessary level of military preparedness to launch a spring offensive against Russia. He said Ukraine’s allies are helping the government achieve the level of technical equipment necessary to launch the attack, delivering heavy armored vehicles and ammunition.

“It’s only a matter of time,” he said. “This time comes with a very high price for us.”

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