U.S. to provide Ukraine with additional $275m in aid

The Pentagon will send Ukraine a new package of weapons and other assistance worth 275 million dollars.

This is reported by the AP, citing U.S. officials.

Officials said there are no major new weapons in the U.S. package, which is expected to be announced Friday. Instead, the U.S. aid is largely aimed at resupplying thousands of rounds of ammunition for weapons systems already in place, including highly mobile artillery rocket systems known as HIMARS, which Ukraine has successfully used in its counteroffensive against Russia.

The new aid comes at a time when federal officials have unveiled U.S. government efforts to ensure that weapons transferred to Ukraine do not fall into the hands of Russian forces, their proxies, or other extremist groups. The plan, announced by the State Department on Thursday, notes that accounting for weapons is particularly difficult during active warfare and in the absence of a significant U.S. presence on the ground.

U.S. officials have faced persistent questions from some members of Congress about how the administration accounts for the billions of dollars worth of weapons that have been sent to Ukraine over the past year.

But the administration has been reluctant to talk about its work in this area because of concerns about the state of the conflict and fears that it could be a clue to potential smugglers.

Author - Olena Madiak, 28/10/2022