The US on Monday announced a new $350 million arms package for Ukraine that includes ammunition for the HIMARS rocket launchers, artillery rounds, and High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs).
The arms are being sent to Ukraine via the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows President Biden to ship Kyiv weapons and equipment directly from Pentagon stockpiles. The funds are being pulled from the $45 billion aid bill Congress passed in December.
According to the Pentagon, the full package includes the following:
Ammunition for HIMARS
155mm artillery rounds
25mm ammunition
HARMs
81mm and 60mm mortar systems and mortar rounds
AT-4 anti-armor weapon systems
Grenade launchers, small arms, and associated ammunition
Demolition munitions and equipment for obstacle clearing
Mine clearing equipment
Heavy fuel tankers
Thermal imagery systems, optics, and laser rangefinders
Riverine patrol boats
Testing and diagnostic equipment to support vehicle maintenance and repair;
Spare parts and other field equipment
The Pentagon also released a fact sheet on Monday that said the US has pledged over $32.5 billion in military equipment for Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion on February 24, 2022.
The new package comes after a Pentagon official told The New York Times that upcoming ammunition shipments were part of a “last ditch effort” to help Ukraine on the battlefield as Ukrainian forces are using artillery rounds at an unsustainable rate. According to the fact sheet, the US has pledged over 1.5 million 155mm artillery rounds to Ukraine.
The policy has depleted Western military stockpiles, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has acknowledged that all 30 alliance members cannot produce ammunition at the rate it’s being used in Ukraine. The US and its allies have taken steps to boost production, but it will take months before any progress is made.
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