WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is sending about $125 million in new military aid to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Thursday, even as Washington seeks to better understand Kiev’s intrusion into Russia and how it advances broader battlefield goals beyond the two. years at war.
US officials said the latest aid package includes air defense missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Javelins and a range of other anti-tank missiles, counter-drone and counter-electronic warfare systems and equipment, 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds, vehicles and other equipment.
The officials wished to remain anonymous because the aid has not been publicly announced. The official announcement could come as soon as Friday, on the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day.
The weapons are delivered through a presidential withdrawal authority, which means they are taken from Pentagon warehouses and can be delivered more quickly.
The aid comes as Ukrainian forces continue to expand their surprise offensive into Russia, where officials say they have seized about 100 square kilometers (62 square miles) of territory around Kursk. Meanwhile, Russian forces are making gains in the east, around the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, an important logistics hub.
Pentagon officials have said repeatedly that the U.S. has been talking to Ukrainian leaders to better assess their long-term goals for the Kursk operation, especially as they see Russia advancing near Pokrovsky.
If Pokrovsk falls, the loss would compromise Ukraine’s defenses and bring Russia closer to its stated goal of capturing the Donetsk region. Russian soldiers are now only 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) away.
Asked about the Kursk operation, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Thursday that “we continue to work with Ukraine on how it fits with their strategic objectives on the battlefield itself.”
He said the United States understands that Ukraine wants to build a buffer zone along the border, but the administration has growing questions about how it contributes to Ukraine’s broader war effort.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made his first visit on Thursday to the border region where his forces launched an offensive on August 6. He said the Kiev army had taken over another Russian village and captured more prisoners of war.
The latest aid package brings the total amount of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine to more than $55.7 billion since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
