US to provide Ukraine with $400m worth of military aid

The US Department of Defence has announced approximately $400 million in additional security assistance for Ukraine under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), as per the Pentagon’s website.

This time, Ukraine will receive 45 refurbished T-72B tanks, 1,100 Phoenix Ghost UAVs, funding to refurbish 250 M1117 armoured security vehicles, tactical secure communications systems, surveillance systems, and more.

The Netherlands will provide 45 more tanks, the US DoD says. “The overhauled T-72B tanks included in this package are part of a trilateral, coordinated effort with the Netherlands and Czech Republic. Alongside the United States, the Netherlands will provide 45 additional T-72B Tanks with the support of the Czech Ministry of Defense and in cooperation with Czech industry,” reads the statement.

In total, the US has committed more than $18.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine so far, DoD says.

The US announced providing Ukraine with two NASAMS surface-to-air missile systems on 26 October. Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced providing Ukraine with two MARS multiple rocket launchers and four howitzers on 25 October, making a point that the air-defence systems supplies to Ukraine would continue.

Oleksiy Reznikov, Ukraine’s Defence Minister, announced on 12 October that four more HIMARS launchers had arrived in Ukraine. He also confirmed that his country had received an IRIS-T air defence system from Germany.