Biden authorizes largest weapons assistance to Ukraine

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced Monday that the United States will provide Ukraine with 1 billion U.S. dollars worth of additional security assistance, the largest one-time weapons package since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

According to a statement by the Department of Defense, the package - the 18th tranche of presidential drawdown since August 2021 - included additional munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), 75,000 rounds of 155 mm artillery ammunition, 20 120 mm mortar systems and 20,000 rounds of 120 mm mortar ammunition, as well as munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS).

Washington will also deliver to Kiev 1,000 Javelins, hundreds of AT4 anti-armor systems, 50 armored medical treatment vehicles, anti-personnel munitions, explosives, demolition munitions and demolition equipment, the statement said.

The just-announced aid brings total U.S. commitment of security assistance to Ukraine to approximately 9.8 billion dollars since Biden took office, according to the Pentagon.