Attributed to Pentagon Press Secretary Todd Breasseale:
This afternoon, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced $820 million in additional security assistance for Ukraine. This includes an authorization of a Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to $50 million, as well as $770 million in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds.
The PDA authorization is the fourteenth drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine that the Biden Administration has authorized since August 2021. Capabilities in this package include:
- Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
Under USAI, the DoD will provide Ukraine with critical capabilities to defend against Russian aggression. Included in this package are:
- Two National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS);
- Up to 150,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition; and
- Four additional counter-artillery radars.
Unlike Presidential Drawdown, USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry rather than delivering equipment that is drawn down from DoD stocks. This announcement represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide additional capabilities to Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
The United States has now committed approximately $7.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration, including approximately $6.9 billion since the beginning of Russia’s unprovoked invasion on February 24. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than $8.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.
The United States continues to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its evolving battlefield requirements. In particular, DoD recognizes Norway’s cooperation to enable the historic provision by the United States of modern air defense systems that will help Ukraine defend against Russia’s brutal air attacks.
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