The US is expected to announce an additional $3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine as the Eastern European nation's war against Russia nears the six-month mark.
The $3bn security package — first reported by the Associated Press, citing US officials — would be the largest amount of military aid Washington has provided to Ukraine since Russia launched its assault on February 24.
It would also signify a shift to a longer-term strategy, with the money providing funding contracts for drones and other equipment that may not see the battlefield for at least a year, the officials told AP.
Previous shipments have focused on Ukraine's immediate needs of weapons and ammunition, and included items that the Pentagon already had in stock.
The expected announcement comes as US reports showed Russia may be preparing to ratchet up attacks on civilian infrastructure and government facilities before Ukraine's Independence Day on Wednesday.
Americans in the country have been advised to depart immediately using their own means if able to do so.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he believes Russian troops could attempt “something particularly ugly” this week.
In addition to providing security assistance for Ukraine's long-term defensive needs, the package is intended to reassure Ukrainian officials of US support.
Six months after Russia invaded Ukraine, the war has ground to a stalemate, as both sides trade small advances in the east and south. Both nations have suffered thousands of casualties, and countless civilians have been killed by Russian bombing.
US Himars multiple launch rocket system — in pictures
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A High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) rocket fired by US forces during live-fire exercises in the Philippines. Reuters -
The Himars is a light multiple rocket launcher developed in the late 1990s. EPA -
Himars rockets are fired during US military exercises in Morocco. AFP -
Ukrainian soldiers ride on a vehicle carrying a rocket launcher in eastern Ukraine. AFP -
A vehicle fires the Himars during combat training in Yakima, Washington state. The Olympian / AP -
A soldier stands in the ruins of Mariupol's theatre, destroyed in Russian shelling. AFP -
A Himars rocket launcher displayed at the 2021 Dubai Airshow. AFP -
A Ukrainian soldier stands outside a school hit by Russian artillery in the village of Zelenyi Hai. AFP -
US military personnel stand by a Himars vehicle during a defence show in Saudi Arabia. AFP -
A US Himars is unloaded during military exercises in Latvia. EPA -
Ukrainian soldiers embedded in a trench on the front line in the Lugansk region. AFP
The US has provided about $10.6bn in military aid so far. American defence leaders are also considering plans to expand training for Ukrainian troops outside their country.
Germany has also stepped up plans to provide more anti-drone devices, ammunition and recovery vehicles as part of a new package announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The planned shipment will be worth more than $500 million, Bloomberg reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
