The US administration will not give Kiev ATACMS missiles, but will send a $325m military aid package with shells for air defence systems. This is reported in a circulated written statement by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Anthony Blinken said that the package “includes additional air defence munitions that will help strengthen Ukraine’s air defence”. In addition, the aid package will include “artillery and anti-tank ammunition, as well as cluster munitions”. According to him, the weapons and equipment “will come from the stockpiles of the US Department of Defence”.
The package includes AIM-9M air defence missiles, ammunition for HIMARS MLRS, Avenger anti-aircraft missile systems, machine guns to combat drones, 105- and 155-mm artillery ammunition, missiles for TOW anti-tank systems, Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank missile systems, more than 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition, and various spare parts.
According to US presidential national security adviser Jake Sullivan, the ATACMS operational-tactical missiles were not included in the new aid package to Ukraine.
Earlier, the White House warned that the flow of aid to Ukraine could be interrupted if Congress does not approve the 24bn request by 1 October. Since the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, Washington has provided Kiev with more than $43.9bn in military aid.