US President Joe Biden announced today military aid to Ukraine worth more than eight billion US dollars, the purpose of which is to help Kiev "win this war" against the Russian invaders, reported Reuters.
Part of the aid will also be the first shipment of precision-guided planning bombs called the Joint Standoff Weapon with a range of up to 130 kilometers. The medium-range munitions represent a significant upgrade to the weaponry Ukraine uses to strike Russian forces and will allow the Ukrainians to do so from a safer distance, Reuters said.
Bombs capable of hitting targets with high precision will be dropped by fighter jets.
Biden would not announce that Washington would allow Ukraine to use American missiles to strike targets deeper inside Russian territory, a US official said, however.
The US president has said that support for Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February 2022, is a top priority for the US. "That's why today I'm announcing a sharp increase in security assistance to Ukraine, as well as a number of additional actions to help Ukraine win this war," added Biden, whose term expires in January.
The bulk of the new aid, worth $5.5 billion, is expected to be delivered before the end of the US fiscal year on Monday, when the funding authority expires, Reuters said. Another $2.4 billion is earmarked for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which allows the administration to buy weapons for Ukraine from companies instead of taking them from U.S. stockpiles.
This will provide Ukraine with additional air defenses, unmanned aerial systems and air-to-ground munitions, as well as support Ukraine's defense industrial base and support its maintenance needs, Biden also said.
According to the US President, the Ministry of Defense will repair and provide Ukraine with more Patriot batteries. (Patriot) for air defense and more "Patriot" missiles.
Biden has also ordered the Pentagon to expand the Ukrainian F-16 pilot training program, including providing training support for 18 more pilots next year.
To deal with Russian sanctions evasion and money laundering, the US, in coordination with international partners, will take action to dismantle what Biden called a "global cryptocurrency network". He added that he will convene a leadership-level meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany next month to coordinate the efforts of most of the 50 countries supporting Ukraine.