Ukraine Is Begging For A Long Range Weapon

The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that the Pentagon is sending an additional $300 million in military supplies to Ukraine, including a significant supply of artillery rounds, air-to-ground rockets, howitzers, and ammunition as Kyiv prepares to launch its spring offensive.

The new aid package includes Hydra-70 rockets, unguided rockets that are fired from aircraft. Additionally, the US will supply an undisclosed amount of HIMARS rockets, howitzer rounds, mortars, missiles, and Carl Gustaf anti-tank rifles. To get the supplies to the front lines more quickly, all of the weapons and artillery will be drawn from Pentagon stocks.

The additional military aid comes as Kyiv is readying for its spring counteroffensive in the east.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Monday that they are in the “home stretch” before Kyiv is finally prepared to launch the assault. Officials in Kyiv have said ammunition for the counteroffensive is being stockpiled along what will be long supply lines.

According to Reznikov, the keys to the counteroffensive’s success will be “the availability of weapons,” trained and prepared people “who know their plan at their level,” as well as providing “all the necessary things” like ammunition, shells, fuel, and protection needed for the attack.

In recent months, Washington has refused to say precisely how much military aid will be sent to Ukraine. But the package announced on Wednesday falls in line with previous aid deliveries.

Including Wednesday’s package, there have been 37 military aid packages of Pentagon stocks sent to Ukraine since the war began, for a total of around $36 billion.

Pentagon officials said the weapons, ammunition, and equipment will help Ukraine focus on heavy fighting in the east, particularly in the fighting around Bukhmut in the Donetsk province.

According to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Russia is continuing to concentrate its efforts in the industrial east, focusing offensive operations around Avdiivka, Bakhmut, Lyman, and Marinka.