US is preparing the 42nd aid package for Ukraine

7 July, 2023 Transportation of M2 Bradley fighting vehicles. Germany.

2019 year. Photo credits: Finn Moller

The Biden administration will soon announce a new package of military aid to Ukraine. Reuters sources report. A new military aid package to Ukraine may be announced as early as Friday.

Cluster munitions are expected to be included in the military aid package. The White House said sending cluster munitions to Ukraine was "under active consideration" but it had no announcement to make.

Mk 118 submunitions

According to one of the sources, in order to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, Biden will need to sign a waiver, similar to the one that was signed for the export of cluster munitions to South Korea in 2021.

Ukraine has stated that these weapons will help in a counteroffensive against Russian troops, as they will allow Ukrainian forces to effectively strike Russian fortified positions. As part of the aid package, which is expected to cost more than £500 million, Ukraine will receive munitions for HIMARS high mobility artillery rocket systems, Bradley fighting vehicles and Stryker armored personnel carriers, one of the officials said. According to the officials, the package is still being finalized and may change.

The defense assistance under this package will come from the surplus reserves of the United States Army.

Stryker wheeled armored vehicle.

Photo from open sources

The security assistance package would become the 42nd one approved by the United States for Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022 with a total cost of more than £40 billion.

As previously reported, on July 4, the Ukrainian Air Force congratulated the United States on Independence Day by painting JDAM-ER bombs and HARM anti-radiation missiles.