US to Send Ukraine Heavy Artillery As Part of $800 Million Aid Package

• The US will send $800 million in weapons and security assistance to Ukraine, the White House said.
• The package includes chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear protective equipment.
• The US had already given Ukraine $1.7 billion in aid since the Russian invasion.

The Biden administration said it would send weapons — including artillery systems, artillery rounds, and armored personnel carriers — to Ukraine as part of an additional $800 million aid package as the embattled country prepares to combat increased Russian aggression in the east.

In a Wednesday press release, the White House said the new package will include many of the “highly effective weapons systems” the US has already provided to Ukraine, as well as “new capabilities” that are specifically tailored to defend against the impending assault Russia is expected to launch in eastern Ukraine.

In addition to the new artillery and armored gear, President Joe Biden also said he approved the transfer of additional helicopters. 

In a Pentagon press briefing on Wednesday, press secretary John Kirby provided a full run-down of what is included in the aid.

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The package includes chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear protective equipment after the Pentagon earlier this week said it was closely monitoring claims that Russia used chemical weapons in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

Kirby said some of the new capabilities, including the planned transfer of Howitzer cannons, will require training for Ukrainians to use them in a “train the trainer” scenario that will likely see the US teach a small number of Ukrainian troops how to use the equipment and then send them back to combat to teach other soldiers in their unit. 

The State Department said last week that the US had already provided more than $2.4 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Biden took office, including $1.7 billion since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. 

“The steady supply of weapons the United States and its Allies and partners have provided to Ukraine has been critical in sustaining its fight against the Russian invasion,” Biden said in the White House press release. “We cannot rest now.”