Share
The Biden administration is set to announce a $425 million military aid package for Ukraine, which will include counter drone rockets and munitions, according to two U.S. officials. The package, however, will not include additional ATACMS missiles, despite calls from senior congressional Republicans for the administration to send longer-range missiles to Ukraine.
The aid package will comprise approximately $300 million worth of laser-guided munitions designed to shoot down Russian drones. These funds are sourced from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative program, which enables the administration to purchase weapons from the industry instead of drawing from U.S. weapons stocks.
The remaining $125 million will be allocated for additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems air defenses, munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, 105 and 155 millimeter artillery, TOW anti-tank weapons, Claymore anti-personnel mines, small arms, and a dozen trucks. These weapons are funded through the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the President to transfer articles and services from U.S. stocks without congressional approval during an emergency.
The Biden administration still has about $5 billion of congressionally granted presidential drawdown authority, after the Pentagon found in June it had overestimated the value of arms shipped to Ukraine due to a $6.2 billion accounting error.
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the U.S. has sent about $44 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine.
Read more at Reuters.
RELATED TOPICS:
Sweet Lola on the Mend, Ready for a Forever Home
20 hours ago
Clovis Daytime Burglary: 2 Suspects Arrested, 1 at Large
1 day ago
Trump Stalled California Wildfire Aid? Ex-Aide Reveals Political Motive
1 day ago
Russia Urges Citizens to Leave Israel as Tensions with Hezbollah Escalate