Steph Deschamps / August 2, 2022
The United States announced Monday that it would send $550 million worth of new weapons to Ukrainian forces fighting the Russian invasion, including ammunition for rocket launchers that are becoming increasingly important in the battle.
The aid will include more ammunition for the Himars systems, White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
This brings the total amount of military assistance to Ukraine since President Joe Biden took office to more than $8 billion, he said.
The new assistance will also include 75,000 155mm shells, the Pentagon said in a statement.
The United States will continue to work with allies and partners to provide Ukraine with key capabilities, the Pentagon said.
The highly mobile Himars fire GPS-guided missiles with a range of 80 kilometers, allowing Ukraine to reach Russian targets previously out of range.
Artillery is decisive in the conflict in Ukraine. The Ukrainian and Russian armies are engaged in a war of attrition over ammunition, which is crucial to their stocks.