US Announces Major Security Assistance Package for Ukraine, Including Anti-Tank Weapons and Air Defense Systems

The Pentagon announced plans to provide Ukraine with an additional $2.3 billion in military aid, which includes anti-tank weapons, interceptors, and ammunition for Patriot and other air defense systems. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revealed this during a meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov at the Pentagon on Tuesday.

“The United States will soon announce new security assistance to Ukraine totaling over $2.3 billion,” Austin stated at the outset of the meeting with Rustem Umerov. “This package will provide more resources for air defense, anti-tank weapons, and other critically important ammunition sourced from US stocks.”

This statement serves as a decisive response to Kyiv’s request for assistance in countering Russian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently highlighted that Russia has dropped over 800 powerful guided bombs on Ukrainian territory in the past week alone. He called on Western leaders to ease restrictions on using Western weaponry to target military assets within Russia.

Earlier reports indicated that as part of a new aid package worth $150 million, the Biden administration would supply Ukraine with Hawk interceptor missiles for its air defense systems.

Since 2022, the United States has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion in military aid. This follows a previous announcement on June 7 of $225 million in military assistance to Ukraine.

Additionally, the United States has decided to prioritize supplying anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine over other countries with pending orders, specifically mentioning Patriot and NASAMS missiles.