U.S. will send $400 million in firepower to Ukraine as Russia mounts new attacks

The Defense Department on Friday announced that it was again dipping into its stockpile to provide Ukraine with $400 million worth of military weapons and ammunition to help the country battle Russian invaders.

The Pentagon will provide Kyiv with a range of firepower, including air defense systems, armored vehicles and anti-tank weapons. It will be the 57th time the Biden administration has used its Presidential Drawdown Authority to resupply Kyiv since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion in February 2022.

The Biden administration is ramping up to provide some $61 billion in military assistance to Ukraine that was approved by Congress last month after a lengthy partisan standoff that left Ukrainian fighters short of resources to battle advancing Russian troops in the south and east.

“The United States will continue to work together with some 50 allies and partners to ensure Ukraine’s brave defenders receive the critical capabilities needed to fight Russian aggression,” the Defense Department said in a statement.

The latest U.S. military drawdown comes as Ukraine is rushing troops to the front line in the northeast to beat back Russian advances near Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city. Russia has had the initiative along the more than 600-mile front in recent months, taking past some territory reclaimed by Kyiv last year.

The latest package includes added munitions for the Patriot air defense system and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, along with more Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles and more ammunition for the U.S.-provided High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. 

Pentagon officials said the U.S. will also deliver 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, Stinger anti-aircraft rounds, Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank systems. The resupply effort will help Ukraine meet its “critical security and defense needs,” Defense Department officials said.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Friday that the new aid was designed specifically with the latest Russian thrusts near Kharkiv in mind. He expressed confidence Ukraine’s defensive lines would hold, and that U.S. and Western aid would play a key role.

“It is possible that Russia will make further advances in the coming weeks, but we do not anticipate any major breakthroughs,” Mr. Kirby said. “And over time, the influx of U.S. assistance will enable Ukraine to withstand these attacks over the course of 2024.”