Biden Administration announces additional security assistance for Ukraine

By SDCN Editor

Washington, D.C.–The Department of Defense announced additional security assistance to meet Ukraine’s critical security and defense needs to counter Russia’s ongoing war of aggression in its country.  

The announcement is the Biden Administration’s 48th tranche of equipment to be provided from Department of Defense inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. The security package includes additional air defense capabilities, anti-tank weapons, and other equipment, the Department of Defense officials stated in a news release. 

The security package utilizes assistance previously authorized for Ukraine during prior fiscal years under the Presidential Drawdown Authority that remained after the PDA revaluation process concluded in June.

The package, valued at up to $200 million, includes AIM-9M missiles for air defense, counter-unmanned aerial Systems (c-UAS) equipment, additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, precision aerial munitions, electronic warfare equipment, tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided (TOW) missiles, AT-4 anti-armor systems, small arms and more than 16 million rounds of small arms ammunition, demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing, and spare parts, training munitions, maintenance, and other field equipment.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III spoke about the United States’ commitment to support Ukraine at the 16th Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Oct. 11 in Brussels, Belgium. Austin was joined by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Minister Rustem Umerov, and the rest of the Ukrainian delegation. 

“The United States will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Secretary Austin told the group. “I look forward to working together to do even more to get Ukraine’s brave defenders what they need at this crucial moment.”

According to Secretary Austin, Ukraine is making steady progress forward, and it continues to liberate key terrain from the dug-in Russian “invaders.”  

“The current battles only underscore the importance of the lifesaving security assistance from everyone here that has kept Ukraine in the fight,” the secretary said. “We must continue to rush Ukraine what it needs to meet its current challenges, even as we continue to develop Ukraine’s combat capabilities to ward off future dangers.”