The Biden administration authorized another $100 million worth of military aid to Ukraine, this time for the use of Javelin anti-armor systems, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday night.
This new package brings the total amount of military aid the United States has provided to Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24 to $1.7 billion, and it is the sixth drawdown of arms, equipment, and supplies from the department’s inventories for the country since August 2021.
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“Today, the Biden Administration authorized an additional Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to an additional $100 million to meet an urgent Ukrainian need for additional Javelin anti-armor systems, which the United States has been providing to Ukraine and they have been using so effectively to defend their country,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a brief statement.
Last Friday, the administration approved a $300 million package that included laser-guided rocket systems, Switchblade tactical unmanned aerial systems, counter-unmanned aerial systems, and armored high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles, among other things.
“In addition to what we have provided, more than 30 countries have joined us to deliver security assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. “Together, we are delivering security assistance every day, and we are expediting shipments of even more of the arms and defense equipment Ukraine is using to defend itself.”
Russia’s military is facing fresh accusations of war crimes as Ukrainian officials assess the damage and count the dead in recently liberated towns, including Bucha, a suburb northwest of Kyiv.
Hundreds of Bucha residents were found buried in a mass grave on Saturday, according to Ukrainian officials, while Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova said on Sunday that the bodies of 410 dead civilians had been found so far. The Russians have denied responsibility for the deaths in Bucha and accused the Ukrainians of planting the bodies in the street. However, the New York Times reported that an analysis of satellite images of the area rebuts their denial.
“The world has been shocked and appalled by the atrocities committed by Russia’s forces in Bucha and across Ukraine,” Blinken said. “Ukraine’s forces bravely continue to defend their country and their freedom, and the United States, along with our Allies and partners, stand steadfast in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned the world on Monday that the apparent massacre in Bucha may not be the worst of the atrocities committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.
“In terms of human casualties, the worst situation is in Borodyanka. There’s a lot to process,” Venediktova told Ukrainian media on Monday.
