U.S. to send Ukraine surveillance drones as part of new US$400M aid package – National | 24CA News
The U.S. Department of Defense introduced $400 million in extra safety help for Ukraine on Tuesday, together with air protection missiles, armored autos and small drones, as Ukraine’s counteroffensive in opposition to Russia grinds on.
The new support bundle, which was first reported by Reuters, will embody for the primary time U.S. furnished Black Hornet surveillance drones made by Teledyne FLIR Defense, a part of Teledyne Technologies.
The Norwegian-built Hornet is being utilized in Ukraine by means of donations by the British and Norwegian governments, the corporate stated. FLIR Unmanned Aerial Systems was awarded a $93 million contract in April to offer the small reconnaissance drones to the U.S. Army.
In addition, the weapons support bundle contains munitions for Patriot air protection methods and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASMS), Stinger anti-aircraft methods, extra ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Stryker Armored Personnel Carriers and a wide range of different missiles and rockets.
The help is funded utilizing Presidential Drawdown Authority, or PDA, which authorizes the president to rapidly switch articles and providers from U.S. shares with out congressional approval throughout an emergency. The materials will come from U.S. extra stock.
This is the forty third safety help bundle authorized by the United States for Ukraine. More than $43 billion in U.S. army support has been offered since Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Commenting on the help announcement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken famous Russia’s assaults on Ukraine ports and Ukrainian infrastructure since withdrawing from the Black Sea Grain Initiative final week.
“Russia could end this war at any time by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and stopping its brutal attacks against Ukraine’s cities and people. Until it does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine, for as long as it takes,” Blinken stated in an announcement.
The Black Sea grain deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey a yr in the past to fight a worldwide meals disaster worsened by Russia’s invasion. Ukraine and Russia are each main grain exporters.
Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine has resulted within the deaths of hundreds and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, denounced the brand new U.S. bundle.
“The actions by Washington … are beyond morality and common sense,” Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov stated in a submit on the embassy’s Telegram messaging app.
Britain stated on Tuesday it had info indicating Russia’s army may begin concentrating on civilian transport within the Black Sea, whereas the European Union pledged to assist Ukraine export virtually all its farm produce through rail and highway.
(Reporting by Mike Stone and Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Additional reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa, Katharine Jackson in Washington and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Grant McCool and Stephen Coates)
