New munitions for anti-aircraft defense: US releases urgently needed military aid to Ukraine

New ammunition for anti-aircraft defense
US releases urgently needed military aid to Ukraine

July 3, 2024, 8:58 am

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The Russian side’s opening of a new front in the Kharkiv region has only put Ukraine in short-term distress. However, Kiev is still out of ammunition. Now the next installment comes from America.

The Ukrainian army is receiving urgently needed supplies. The United States will soon provide Ukraine with additional military aid worth about US$2.3 billion (about €2.14 billion) to defend against Russia’s war of aggression. This was announced by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umzherov’s visit to Washington.

Austin explained that the package, approved by US President Joe Biden, “includes additional anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank weapons and other critical munitions from the US stockpile”. “The realignment of certain foreign military logistics” would allow the U.S. to deliver munitions for the Patriot and other air defense systems on an “accelerated timeline.”

The aid is one of several tranches already made available since the US Congress unveiled new funding worth around US$61 billion (€56.2 billion) for Kiev at the end of April. According to the Pentagon, the United States has already provided $50 billion in military aid to Kiev since Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine began two years ago.

Kiev is preparing to import electricity from the EU

Ukraine was able to stabilize the situation along a roughly 1,000-kilometer front line after resuming U.S. arms supplies despite pressure from Russia.

The Russian side’s opening of a new front in the Kharkiv area made the Ukrainian side short. According to media reports, when it comes to deploying artillery, each Ukrainian shell now has only three Russian projectiles instead of the previous five or more.

Given the continued Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Kiev is preparing to import electricity from the EU. President Volodymyr Zelenskyj said in his evening video message that a decision on electricity imports is now necessary after Prime Minister Denis Schmihal’s report on the country’s current energy supply situation.

“We are now fully committed to the import volume agreed with the European Union, and I am grateful to our neighbors for this assistance,” Zelenskiy said. “We are doing everything we can to increase imports and this has to be a European solution.” His government is preparing agreements for that.

Zelensky called on the Ministry of Energy to inform people on a daily basis about the state of work in the energy sector, existing deficits and the country’s measures to eliminate these deficits.

Lukashenko warns Kiev

In recent months, the Russian military has begun targeting and destroying Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The aim of these attacks is to destroy the people’s will to resist.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in his Republic Day speech in Minsk on June 3 that NATO does not want to end the war in neighboring Ukraine and wants to drag Belarus into it. “We will not allow conflicts on the border with Ukraine, I guarantee you that they will not happen.”

At the same time, Lukashenko warned Kiev to avoid provocations on the border. “I want to ask Ukrainians not to play with fire,” Lukashenko said. Minsk will not allow any escalation. A few days ago, Belarus increased its border forces along the border with Ukraine due to provocations.

Kiev rejected this and said it would strengthen defense positions along Ukraine’s border. At the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine two years ago, Belarus allowed Russian troops to cross its border.