The United States has for the first time agreed to provide Kyiv with the types of powerful capabilities that some Biden officials a few weeks ago considered too high a risk of escalation a few weeks ago, including 11 Mi-17 helicopters, 18,155 mm howitzers and another 300 drone Switchblade.
A source familiar with the Russian diplomatic note said Moscow was expected to protest the shipments, and it was not yet clear if that meant Russia would change its behavior in any way. But the man acknowledged that the note could signal a more aggressive Russian stance against the United States and NATO as the war drags on.
CNN previously reported that the United States believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s tolerance for risk has increased and that he may be willing to take more aggressive action against the United States in response to their support for Ukraine.
Asked for comment, a US official said: “We will not confirm any private diplomatic correspondence. What we can confirm is that, together with our allies and partners, we are providing billions of dollars in security assistance to Ukraine, which our Ukrainian partners are using to their full advantage to defend their country against unprovoked Russian aggression and horrific acts of violence. “
The first US $ 800 million flight of new aid to Ukraine is expected to arrive in the region in the next 24 hours, according to a senior defense official. The official said the material would be taken to the border by Ukrainians and brought into the country. The manifesto is not disclosed.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has been begging the West for months for heavier equipment to fight effectively the Russians who invaded Ukraine on February 24. Russia was sent back to northern Ukraine, and its forces ultimately failed to capture the capital, Kyiv.
But Ukrainian and Western officials have since expected Russia to launch a major offensive in eastern Ukraine, which is a different type of terrain and requires different types of weapons.
“It simply came to our notice then [155mm] howitzers and related shells, and that reflects the kind of battles Ukrainians expect to face here in this more limited geographical area, “Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters Wednesday, referring to the Donbass region in the east. Ukraine.
Despite Russia’s protests, the United States shows no signs of delaying its military support for Ukraine. Pentagon officials met with defense executors this week to discuss how to increase production of the types of systems and weapons Ukraine will need to continue fighting.
“This [meeting] it was really focused on the type of systems and weapons that were important in the war in Ukraine, “Kirby said on Wednesday, as well as” the possibility of speeding up some of these production lines and expanding based on the large number of our stockpiles. “
This story has been updated with additional reports.
CNN’s Caitlan Collins and Barbara Starr contributed to this report.
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