AMTV/Pentagon, Nov 20 – Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced additional security assistance to meet Ukraine’s critical security and defense needs. This announcement is the Biden Administration’s fifty-first tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. This package includes additional air defense capabilities, artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapons, and other equipment to help Ukraine defend its sovereign territory and fight for its freedom from Russia’s ongoing war of aggression.
This package utilizes assistance previously authorized for Ukraine during prior fiscal years under Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) that remained after the PDA revaluation process.
The capabilities in this package, valued at up to $100 million, include:
Stinger anti-aircraft missiles; One High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and additional ammunition; 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;
Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles; Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems; More than 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition; Demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing; Cold weather gear; and Spare parts, maintenance, and other ancillary equipment.
The United States remains committed to working with the coalition the United States has built of some 50 Allies and partners who are providing Ukraine with the capabilities it needs to defend itself now and deter Russian aggression well into the future. Our allies and partners have stepped up to provide approximately $36 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. Under the leadership of the United States, this global coalition has enabled Ukraine’s courageous forces to successfully defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence, win critical battles that repelled Russian forces, and take back more than half of the territory seized by Russian invaders.
Security assistance for Ukraine is a smart investment in our national security. It helps to prevent a larger conflict in the region and deter potential aggression elsewhere, while strengthening our defense industrial base and creating highly skilled jobs for the American people in dozens of states across the country. It is critical that Congress take action to support Ukraine by passing the President’s supplemental funding request.
Photo: Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Kyiv, Nov. 20, 2023. Austin met with Ukrainian leaders and reinforced the staunch support of the United States for Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression, while also discussing a long-term vision for Ukraine’s future force. (DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley)