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The United States will send Ukraine an additional $400 million in military aid, heavily focused on long-range precision weapons, the Pentagon said Friday.
The package consists of four highly mobile artillery missile systems, also known as HIMARS, adding to the eight that Washington has already delivered to Kyiv. It also includes 1,000 rounds of what a senior US defense official called a “new type” of 155mm ammunition to be used in the howitzer’s guns which were part of previous transfers. These circles – which officials declined to be identified by name, citing security concerns — aim to improve Ukraine ability to target Russian military assets.
A senior defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the Pentagon, said the weapons’ accuracy must be more effective than standard cartridges Ukrainian forces are currently operating. Officials in Kyiv say they go through between 5,000 and 6,000 rounds of standard artillery ammunition per day; the US official said the burn rate of these weapons would be much less.
“We know what their utilization rate is. We know what their price is in the store,” the employee said. “The Ukrainians have asked for more precision capabilities, and HIMARS is not the limit of what the US can provide them for precision capabilities.”
Ukraine disperses arsenal to protect weapons from Russian strikes
The conflict in Ukraine’s Eastern Donbas region has been marked by fierce fighting and heavy shelling, allowing Russia to make slow but steady gains while suffering heavy casualties. A senior Ukrainian official said this week that 36,000 Russian soldiers and 12,000 mercenaries had been killed in combat. The Pentagon declined to offer such estimates.
At this stage, Russia appears to be in control of the entire Luhansk region after capturing the city of Severodonetsk late last month. The commanders are trying to expand their positions in the Donetsk region by moving south from Izyum, which has been under Russian control since April. They are targeting Slavyansk, a strategically key city near the region’s western border, but efforts have been slow to develop.
A senior U.S. military official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, speculated on Friday that Russian forces could soon be exhausted if they push forward without pause.
“If I took the number of casualties the Russians gave to conquer this part of the earth, I’d probably have to stop and retool,” the official said.
The flood of arms to Ukraine raises fears of arms smuggling
Friday’s announcement comes as some in Congress accuse the Pentagon of failing to properly account for where U.S. military aid ends up after it is transferred to Ukraine and of failing to ensure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
“Where I think we are, if not blind, then legally blind, is how well the equipment is being used, what are the ammunition spend levels, is there black market leakage, is the Department of Defense playing favorites,” Congressman Michael Waltz ( R-Fla.) said in a recent interview. “We, from a congressional oversight perspective, are responsible for the current billions of taxpayer dollars to have a better understanding of where it’s going, who it’s going to and how it’s being used.”
For now, the United States appears to be relying primarily on the Ukrainian military to provide visibility into where weapons go after they are transferred.
“From the time we send the capabilities to Ukraine, deliver them to Ukraine, they move to the battlefield, our military leaders and experts and professionals are in communication with the Ukrainians to understand how they deploy these capabilities, what their utilization rate is ” said the senior US defense official. “We are following this very closely and we are very careful about our duties and obligations to maintain awareness of the capabilities that we provide to Ukraine.”
Despite Russia’s recent conquests, administration tried to instill optimism that Ukraine could still gain the upper hand with additional capabilities. Asked on Friday whether the Kremlin had momentum, the senior defense official characterized Russia’s progress as “very, very gradual, limited, incremental, [and] very expensive.”
“We don’t see this as Russia winning this battle at all,” the official said. “But the battle is tough and the Ukrainians must fight hard to prevent the Russians from achieving their goal.”
However, the question remains whether the West’s desire to continue supplying Ukraine with weapons will continue as long as Ukrainians are ready to defend their territory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a speech this week that artillery was “finally” and “powerfully” having an impact on the battlefield, according to reports. Meanwhile, in Moscow this week, Russia’s parliament passed economic control measures to send more weapons and repair capabilities to the front line – a sign that its resources may be exhausted.
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