The first shipments of the latest round of US military aid to Ukraine, which includes heavier weapons systems, began arriving in the region over the weekend, according to the Pentagon.
The recently approved $ 800 million in security aid includes howitzer artillery systems, 40,000 artillery shells, armored vehicles and other weapons.
A senior U.S. defense official said Monday that four aid parcels arrived in the region over the weekend, with a fifth expected in the next 24 hours. The official did not specify which weapons from the recent package came to the region first.
On Tuesday, a senior defense official said aid to Ukraine could be deployed incredibly quickly: in just 48-72 hours, the process of obtaining the necessary approvals, collecting and sending equipment could be completed.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a news briefing that the Department of Defense expects to begin training Ukrainian instructors outside Ukraine on how to use US-provided howitzers in the coming days. After that, Ukrainian instructors will return to Ukraine and train more troops.
FILE: Photo of a light 155 mm howitzer system of the US Army
According to Kirby, the training is not expected to take long, as Ukrainians already know how to use artillery systems and just need to get acquainted with American systems. Ukrainians use 152 mm artillery systems, and the United States provides 155 mm artillery systems.
The Russians moved to the Donbass region after failing to control Kyiv. According to Kirby, the Pentagon estimates that they are currently conducting “productions”, which includes “setting conditions for more aggressive, open and larger ground maneuvers” in the east, according to Kirby.
The upcoming battle in the east is expected to rely more on armored vehicles and artillery systems than in the north, as the terrain in southeastern Ukraine is flatter and more open.
“Artillery is a specific item that Ukrainians wanted because of the specific fighting they expect to take place in Donbass,” Kirby said on Monday. “And we know that the Russians also believe in the same thing, because we see them moving artillery units to Donbass as well.
On Tuesday, Kirby noted that the fighting in Donbass will be characterized by “completely different types of battles”, which will include long-range shooting and artillery. He acknowledged that in the future it is certainly within the reach of Ukrainians to want additional artillery systems and additional artillery shells, and we will hold these talks with them and do so, if necessary, we will do everything we can to meet him. “
The recently approved $ 800 million in aid to Ukraine also includes Switchblade drones, more Javelin anti-tank missiles and armored personnel carriers. In total, the United States provided $ 2.6 billion in security aid to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in late February.
More Eleanor Watson
CBS News reporter covering the Pentagon.
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