Washington [USA], April 27: The new military aid package was announced by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at a meeting commemorating the 2nd anniversary of the establishment of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group , gathering countries participating in contributing aid to Kyiv.
According to an announcement from the US Department of Defense, the new aid package is worth $6 billion, including missiles for the Patriot missile defense system , NASAMS air defense system and laser-guided rocket systems; ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), 155 mm and 152 mm guns; Switchblade and Puma unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) ; along with many other weapons and equipment.
"This is the largest aid package we have committed to date," Secretary Austin said at a press conference. He praised Ukraine's military for being able to hold its own while the US Congress delayed aid and said the new weapons would help Kyiv perform much better.
The aid package is implemented through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), whereby the US will use the above money to purchase weapons from foreign companies or partners.
Previously, as soon as the US Congress approved a $61 billion aid budget for Ukraine, the Pentagon announced a $1 billion aid package for Ukraine, taking weapons directly from the US military's warehouse, helping weapons transfers faster than under the USAI program.
That aid package includes anti-aircraft missiles RIM-7, AIM-9M, Stinger, artillery shells and many other combat vehicles.
In a related development, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles confirmed on April 26 that she would provide Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine. According to Reuters, the Spanish Ministry of Defense's announcement suggested that the country only sent missiles instead of the entire Patriot system, including launchers and other equipment.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper