The Department of Defense announced it is sending an additional $2.3 billion in security assistance for Ukraine on Wednesday, which includes anti-tank weapons and interceptors for the country's air defense systems.
The department said the Biden administration plans to get the assistance to Ukraine quickly to help with its war with Russia, and the weapons will come from the department's inventories.
"The United States will continue to work together with some 50 Allies and partners to ensure Ukraine's brave defenders receive the critical capabilities needed to fight Russian aggression," the Pentagon said in a news release.
The new aid package marks the 60th tranche of equipment for Ukraine since the start of the war in 2021.
The security assistance will include two separate packages. The first is $150 million from the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package which includes Missiles for HAWK air defense systems, Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, 81mm mortar rounds, and Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems among others.
The other package, worth $2.2 billion, includes defense interceptors for the PATRIOT and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) air defense systems.
“Ukraine is in a tough fight … [but] make no mistake, Ukraine is not alone,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in remarks on Tuesday ahead of a meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, The Hill reported.
The United States has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion in weapons defense since 2022, according to Reuters. The Pentagon has also entered a 10-year bilateral security agreement with Ukraine, which guarantees the U.S. will provide the country with defense equipment over the next decade.
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