U.S. preparing additional $425 million military aid package for Ukraine

3 November, 2023 Illustrative photo of US Army ammunition boxes.

2017. USA. Photo credits: dvdshub.net

The Biden Administration plans to announce on Friday a £425 million military aid package for Ukraine. Reuters reported on this with reference to two U.S. officials. The package is not expected to include additional ATACMS missiles.

However, the first ATACMS missiles were sent to Ukraine without an official announcement. "The planned aid package for Ukraine includes about £300 million worth of laser-guided munitions to shoot down Russian drones," sources told the news agency.

Illustration on the topic: Shahed kamikaze drone

The funds for those munitions come from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) program. USAI allows the Biden administration to buy weapons from industry rather than pull from U.S. weapons stocks.

The remainder of the £125 million worth of weapons pledges includes additional munitions, according to the officials. In particular, the package will include additional munitions for:

  • National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) air defenses;
  • munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
  • 105 and 155-millimeter artillery;
  • TOW anti-tank weapons;
  • Claymore anti-personnel mines;
  • small arms;
  • dozen trucks.
155 mm artillery shells. Photo credits: telegraph.co.uk

Those weapons pledges are made possible by utilizing Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which authorizes Biden to transfer articles and services from U.S. stocks without congressional approval during an emergency.

Officials said the package was still being developed and may alter.

Recently, Pentagon spokesman General Patrick Ryder said that the Department of Defense has just over £5.4 billion to provide military assistance to Ukraine.

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