Ukraine war: US sends $800m weapons to Russia

Created: 04/14/2022, 12:31 p.m

By: Christoph Klaucke

Ukraine can look forward to powerful help in the war against Russia.

The US is sending $800 million worth of weapons and military vehicles.

Washingten DC/Kyiv – The Ukrainian army faces the invader from Russia* alone.

In the Ukraine conflict*, the attacked country can rely not only on sanctions against the aggressor but also on military support from its western allies from abroad.

In view of the expected large-scale offensive by Russia in eastern Ukraine, the European Union and the USA* are also significantly increasing their military support for Kyiv*.

The United States plans to supply Ukraine with up to $800 million in additional arms and ammunition, including artillery, armored vehicles and helicopters.

US President Joe Biden* said on Wednesday after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj* that the government in Washington would continue to equip Ukraine with the ability to defend itself.

Ukraine war: US sends $800m weapons to Russia

Since the start of the Ukraine war* at the end of February, the US government has already committed or delivered weapons worth 2.5 billion US dollars.

Since the beginning of 2021, US aid for Kyiv has totaled around $3.2 billion.

Other NATO member states and allies have also supplied arms and equipment to Ukraine, including Britain and Germany.

However, the German chancellery is apparently reluctant to deliver weapons to Ukraine, as far as heavy equipment is concerned.

The EU, in turn, only decided on Wednesday (April 13, 2022) to release a further 500 million euros for arms deliveries to Kyiv.

Ukraine conflict: US sends military weapons in war against Russia.

© Peter Gercke/dpa

"The Ukrainian military has used the weapons we have provided with devastating effect," said US President Biden.

US and allied arms supplies were crucial for Ukraine to withstand the Russian onslaught.

"They helped ensure that Putin* failed in his original goals of conquering and controlling Ukraine."

War in Ukraine: An overview of the US arms supply

The new deliveries are intended to support Ukraine*, especially in view of the feared major Russian attack in the eastern Donbass region.

In addition to the weapons already delivered, Ukraine would now be given additional capabilities, including artillery systems and armored vehicles.

Ukraine should also get "additional helicopters" - the USA had last confirmed the delivery of helicopters before the war.

Specifically, the USA is planning to deliver the following systems, among others:

• Eleven Mi-17 helicopters of Russian design destined for Afghanistan.

  Before the war, the US had already handed over five of these to Ukraine.

• 200 M113 armored personnel carriers.

• 100 Humvee armored general purpose vehicles.

• 18 155mm field howitzers with 40,000 artillery shells.

• Protective equipment for chemical, biological and nuclear incidents.

• Ten dedicated radar systems for artillery reconnaissance, two systems for air reconnaissance.

• 300 Switchblade unmanned drones that can be crashed onto a target with an explosive device.

• 500 Javelin-type anti-tank guided missiles, plus "thousands" of other armor-piercing weapons.

• C-4 type explosives for clearing obstacles.

• An unspecified number of autonomous coastal defense ships.

• 30,000 combinations of bulletproof vests and helmets.

Ukraine war: US President Biden and Zelenskyj talk about sanctions against Russia

Selenskyj wrote on Twitter about the hour-long phone call with Biden that the two had discussed Russian war crimes in addition to the further package of US aid and agreed to expand the sanctions against Russia.

When asked for details on the sanctions, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki* simply said additional sanctions against Moscow were still being considered.

She wasn't more specific.

The US and Western partners have already imposed a series of tough sanctions on Russia since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

(ck/dpa)