U.S. announces new aid package for Ukraine: air defense, artillery, and HIMARS ammunition

The U.S. Department of Defense reported the information.

“Today,(July 3 - ed.) the Department of Defense (DoD) announces additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs. This includes the authorization of a Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package valued at up to $150 million to provide Ukraine with key capabilities, including: additional air defense interceptors; artillery and other fires, and anti-tank weapons,” the Pentagon said.

This is the first part of the assistance package, which includes:

• Missiles for HAWK air defense systems;
• Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
• 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;
• 81mm mortar rounds;
• Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
• Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
• Small arms ammunition and grenades;
• Demolitions equipment and munitions;
• Tactical vehicles to tow and haul equipment;
• Tactical air navigation systems and aircraft support equipment; and,
• Spare parts, maintenance, and other field and ancillary equipment.

The second part of the aid package will include air defense interceptor missiles worth approximately $2.2 billion. These funds will be used to purchase PATRIOT and NASAMS air defense interceptors for Ukraine. Ukraine will receive them under an accelerated procedure by changing the priority of foreign deliveries to the United States.

At the same time, White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre said at a briefing that this is the seventh package allocated by the United States since President Biden signed a bill in April to provide more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine.

The spokesperson for the Biden administration stated that the Biden-Harris administration had announced the allocation of a new significant security assistance package to Ukraine, as the United States continued to support Ukraine's defense against the Russian invasion.

President Zelenskyy's response

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked US President Joe Biden, both parties of Congress and the entire American people for the new aid package. 

He said it would help strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian army on the battlefield. 

"We look forward to further U.S. assistance that will strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities and enable us to effectively counter Russian aggression and protect our people from Russian terror," Zelenskyy added. 

• On July 2, it was reported that the United States would soon announce a new arms package for Ukraine worth more than $2.3 billion.