US announces expedited $2.2 billion air defense boost for Ukraine
On Wednesday, 3 July, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced during a press briefing that Washington has approved another aid package for Ukraine, which includes missiles for air defence systems, ammunition for HIMARS missile systems, artillery shells, and other supplies.
The US administration clarified that these weapons are taken from US military stockpiles, ensuring their speedy delivery to Ukraine. The total value of the new military aid package is $150 million.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon announced the purchase of missiles for Patriot and NASAMS air defence systems for Kyiv, amounting to $2.2 billion. Washington plans to accelerate their delivery to Ukraine by adjusting the sequence within the "Foreign Military Sales" program. The Pentagon stressed that Ukraine urgently needs additional air defence resources to protect its population and critical infrastructure from Russian air attacks.
Last week, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced the delivery of additional Patriot, IRIS-T and SAMP-T systems, as well as missiles for air defence systems to Ukraine. Earlier, it was reported that Ukraine might receive eight Patriot systems from Israel. These systems might first be shipped to the US and then delivered to Ukrainian territory.