U.S. 1 billion security package for Ukraine would be one of the largest so far and is expected to be announced next week
The United States (U.S.) is planning a new U.S.$ 1 billion security package for Ukraine, which will include long-range weapons and armoured medical transport vehicles.
The package would be one of the largest so far and is expected to be announced next week. As of now, the U.S. has given about U.S. $ 8.8 billion of aid to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion.
The President of U.S. – Joe Biden has not yet signed the next weapons package. They weapons packages can change in value and content before they are signed. However, if signed in its current form, it would include ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) as well as some 50 M113 armoured medical vehicles.
Besides, the Pentagon recently announced Ukrainians would be allowed to receive medical treatment at a U.S. military hospital in Germany near Ramstein Air Base. Last week, the Pentagon announced a separate security assistance package for Ukraine valued at up to U.S. $ 550 million, which also included additional ammunition for HIMARS.
HIMARS has played a key role in holding Russia back from capturing Ukraine. Russia is trying to gain control of the largely Russian-speaking Donbas, comprised of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, where pro-Moscow separatists seized territory after the Kremlin annexed Crimea to the South in 2014. The U.S. has sent 16 HIMARS to Ukraine.
Separately, Enerhoatom, Ukrainian State enterprise operating all 4 nuclear power stations said a nitrogen-oxygen unit and a high-voltage power line has been damaged by Russian rockets at the Zaporizhzhia plant – Europe’s largest in Southern Ukraine. However, there has been no radiation leak.
Enerhoatom said there were 2 rounds of Russian rocket fire, which prompted the site’s operators to disconnect a reactor from the power grid. Ukraine has also accused Russian forces of firing rockets at civilian areas from the site. A former employee of the plant, who is still in contact with colleagues but is now in Ukrainian-held territory, told media that Russian forces have moved some military hardware into one of the main buildings.
Russia seized the Zaporizhzhia plant in March 2022 but kept its Ukrainian employees. Russia controls the plant and surrounding areas, close to Ukrainian-held territory. It consists of 6 pressurised water reactors and stores radioactive waste.
It is not clear how many power lines still operate at the plant, and the contrasting claims have not been independently verified.
Earlier, the Defence Ministry of the United Kingdom (U.K.) said Russia was using the area to launch attacks, taking advantage of the protected status of the nuclear power plant to reduce the risk of overnight attacks from Ukrainian forces.
