WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will send about $125 million in new military aid to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Thursday, as Washington works to better understand Kiev's invasion of Russia and how it advances broader battlefield goals after more than two years of war.
According to U.S. officials, the latest aid package includes surface-to-air missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Javelins and a range of other anti-tank missiles, anti-drone and electronic warfare systems and equipment, 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, vehicles and other equipment.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid has not yet been publicly announced. The formal announcement could come as early as Friday, the eve of Ukraine's Independence Day.
The weapons are being delivered through presidential withdrawal authority, meaning they are being taken from the Pentagon's stockpile 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. Russian forces are meanwhile making gains in the east, around the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a crucial logistics hub.
Pentagon officials have said repeatedly that the U.S. is talking to Ukrainian leaders to get a better understanding of their long-term goals for the Kursk operation, especially as they see Russia advancing on Pokrovsk.
If Pokrovsk falls, the defeat would jeopardize 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 miles) away.
Asked about the Kursk operation, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Thursday that “we are continuing to work with Ukraine to determine how that fits with their strategic objectives on the battlefield itself.”
The US understands that Ukraine wants to build a buffer zone along the border, she said, but the administration still has questions about how this could advance Ukraine's broader war effort.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his first visit to the border region on Thursday, where his troops launched the offensive on August 6. He said Kiev's army had seized control of another Russian village and taken more prisoners.
The latest aid package brings the total amount of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022 to more than $55.7 billion.
