U.S. announces $2.4 billion more defense aid to Ukraine

Feb. 3 (UPI) — The U.S. Department of Defense said Friday Ukraine will get another $2.4 billion in U.S. military aid to further bolster its defense against the Russian invasion.

The package consists of $1.75 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative money and $425 million in Presidential Drawdown security aid.

“The Presidential Drawdown is the thirty-first such drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine that the Biden Administration has authorized since August 2021,” the Defense Department said in a statement. “Today’s announcement includes critical air defense capabilities to help Ukraine defend its people.”

The $1.75 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds will provide two HAWK air defense firing units, radar equipment, air defense generators, Puma unmanned aerial systems, equipment to integrate Western air defense systems with Ukraine’s, precision guided rockets, and anti-aircraft guns and ammunition.

This package also includes HIMARS ammunition, 2,000 anti-armor rockets, 250 Javelin anti-armor systems, 155mm and 120mm artillery and mortar rounds, 181 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, cold weather gear, demolition munitions, 190 heavy machine guns and ammo to counter drones, and claymore mines.

According to the Defense Department, this latest aid package brings the total now committed to help defend Ukraine to $30 billion during the Biden administration. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than $32 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.

The announcement, according to the Defense Department, also marks the beginning of a contracting process to provide Ukraine’s Armed Forces with additional capabilities “as part of our efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s military over the near and long-term.”

Meanwhile Germany has agreed to send older Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine in addition to the 14 more modern Leopard 2 tanks it agreed to send in January.

In a fact sheet on U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine, the Department of Defense itemizes the military assistance that has been sent to Ukraine to resist the Russian invasion.