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The U.S. will provide Ukraine with air defense systems and surface-to-air missiles as part of a new $400 million security assistance package, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
“With Russia’s relentless and brutal airstrikes on Ukraine’s civilian and critical infrastructure, additional air defense capabilities are critical,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singer told reporters.
The package includes four short-range, highly maneuverable Avenger air defense systems — the first time they have been supplied to Ukraine — and the Stinger missiles they fire.
The package also includes missiles, artillery and mortar rounds for the HAWK air defense system, ammunition for Himars precision rocket launchers and more than 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition, which Spain has agreed to supply.
The HAWK missiles will be refurbished using Ukrainian Security Assistance Program funds, which are used to procure equipment from the defense industry. Other items in the package will be sourced from existing U.S. inventory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked U.S. President Joe Biden and the American people for their assistance.
“Together we are building air defense shields to protect (Ukrainian) civilians. We are bringing victory over the aggressors closer!” Zelensky tweeted.
The package brings total U.S. security assistance in Ukraine to more than $18.6 billion since the incursion by Russian troops in February.
A day earlier, top U.S. general Mark Milley said more than 100,000 Russian military personnel had been killed or wounded in Ukraine, and that troops in Kyiv may have suffered similar casualties.
Milley also said that with the opportunity to negotiate an end to the war, either Russia or Ukraine may not be able to achieve a military victory.
Meanwhile, Russia announced on Thursday that its forces had begun withdrawing from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, in a major blow to Moscow’s military operations.
“We saw some signs of the withdrawal of Russian troops from the city of Kherson, but it is too early to fully assess … what that means,” Singh said.
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