WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States on Thursday announced a massive new arms and ammunition package for Ukraine as the country prepares for a new stage of war against Russia.
The package does not include battle tanks requested by Kyiv, but includes 90 Stryker armored personnel carriers, 59 additional Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Avenger air defense systems and large and small munitions, according to a Pentagon statement.
“The 59 Bradley PFDs included in this package, along with the 50 Bradley previously committed on January 6, and the 90 Stryker APCs will provide Ukraine with two brigades of armored capacity,” he said.
An initial 50 Bradleys have been included in a more than $3 billion package announced last week.
The latest package brings total US military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s February 2022 invasion to more than $26.7 billion.
Western allies have pledged billions of dollars worth of weapons for Ukraine. Fearing that winter will give Russian forces time to regroup and launch a major attack, Ukraine is pushing for more help to fight off the invasion of Moscow.
During his trip to Washington in December, President Volodymyr Zelensky told the US Congress that aid to Ukraine is an investment in democracy, not charity, while pushing for continued US support.
The package does not include battle tanks requested by Kyiv, but includes 90 Stryker armored personnel carriers, 59 additional Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Avenger air defense systems and large and small munitions, according to a Pentagon statement.
“The 59 Bradley PFDs included in this package, along with the 50 Bradley previously committed on January 6, and the 90 Stryker APCs will provide Ukraine with two brigades of armored capacity,” he said.
An initial 50 Bradleys have been included in a more than $3 billion package announced last week.
The latest package brings total US military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s February 2022 invasion to more than $26.7 billion.
Western allies have pledged billions of dollars worth of weapons for Ukraine. Fearing that winter will give Russian forces time to regroup and launch a major attack, Ukraine is pushing for more help to fight off the invasion of Moscow.
During his trip to Washington in December, President Volodymyr Zelensky told the US Congress that aid to Ukraine is an investment in democracy, not charity, while pushing for continued US support.
