WASHINGTON – The Biden administration marked Friday’s anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by vowing to send another $2 billion in military aid to assist the Kyiv government.
The new package includes a slew of aerial drones, more ammunition for rocket systems and howitzers, as well as mine-clearing and communications equipment, the Pentagon said in a statement.
“The United States is committing additional unmanned aerial systems and counter-UAS and electronic warfare detection equipment, as well as critical ammunition stocks for artillery and precision fires capabilities that will bolster Ukraine’s ability to repel Russian aggression,” the Defense Department said.
Among the pledged drone systems, three have not been included in previous packages: the Altius-600, CyberLux K8, and Jump 20.
The Altius-600 is a tube-launched drone that can operate from air, sea, or land and can fly for up to four hours with a range of 276 miles. The Jump 20 is roughly the size of a small plane and can fly for more than 14 hours at a range of 115 miles. The K8 is not listed on CyberLux’s website, but the North Carolina-based company specializes in small, quadcopter drones with camera systems.
The package also includes Switchblade 600 loitering “kamikaze” drones, which the US first sent Ukraine last summer.
The $2 billion in weapons will not come from the US weapons stockpile – which the Pentagon is working to rebuild. Instead, they will be procured and purchased new using Congressionally approved Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds.
That also means it could take months to years before Ukraine actually sees the new weapons.
“Unlike Presidential drawdown, USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities rather than delivering equipment that is drawn down from DOD stocks,” the Pentagon said. “This announcement represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide additional capabilities to Ukraine’s Armed Forces.”
The package is meant “to reaffirm the steadfast support of the United States for Ukraine’s brave defenders and strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses” after a year of the brutal war that has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of Russian and Ukrainian troops, as well as thousands of civilians.
“Today’s solemn anniversary is an opportunity for all who believe in freedom, rules, and sovereignty to recommit ourselves to supporting Ukraine’s brave defenders for the long haul—and to recall that the stakes of Russia’s war stretch far beyond Ukraine,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
With the Friday package, the White House has approved more than $32 billion in weapons and other aid since Russian troops launched their offensive on Feb. 24, 2022.
That includes “1,600 Stinger anti-aircraft systems; more than 8,500 Javelin anti-armor systems; 232 howitzers and more than two million rounds of artillery ammunition; 38 HIMARS [rocket systems] and ammunition; a Patriot air-defense battery; eight National Advanced Surface-to Air Missile Systems … 109 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles; 31 Abrams tanks; and 90 Stryker Armored Personnel Carriers,” according to the Pentagon.