The Biden administration unveiled a new $1.2 billion military aid package for Ukraine on Tuesday, increasing the total since the start of the war with Russia to $36.9 billion.
“Today, the Department of Defence (DoD) announced a new security assistance package to reaffirm the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine, including to strengthen its air defences and meet its artillery ammunition needs,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
The equipment will not be acquired from US military stocks, as has been the case with much of the support thus far, but would instead be purchased new from defence contractors through a fund known as the Ukraine Security support Initiative (USAI).
The Pentagon also highlighted it would purchase “additional air defense systems and munitions” for Ukraine. Recent allegedly leaked Pentagon documents warned that Ukraine’s air defense munitions were running low.
According to one document dated February 28, Ukraine would run out of missiles for the S-300 and Buk air defense systems used to defend against air attacks by May 3 and April 13 respectively. The purported shortages painted a dire picture for Ukraine’s front line troops, or “FLOT”:
[Ukraine’s] ability to provide medium range air defense to protect the FLOT will be completely reduced by May 23. [Ukraine] assessed to withstand 2-3 more wave strikes. As 1st Layer Defense munitions run out, 2nd and 3rd Layer expenditure rates will increase, reducing the ability to defend against Russian aerial attacks from all altitudes.
Ukraine has attempted to launch a “spring” counteroffensive against Russian soldiers, but there are signs that the Ukrainian military is still not ready.