US announces over $500m in new Ukraine security aid
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Ukrainian servicemen fire a self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions in Ukraine's Donetsk region
PHOTO: AFP
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WASHINGTON - The United States announced on Nov 1 that it will provide an additional US$425 million (S$560 million) in military aid to Ukraine, a day after Washington said thousands of North Korean troops were ready to enter combat against Kyiv’s forces.
The assistance “will provide Ukraine additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs, including: air defence interceptors; munitions for rocket systems and artillery; armoured vehicles; and anti-tank weapons,” the Defence Department said in a statement.
The package, which will be drawn from US stocks, also includes air-to-ground munitions, medical equipment, demolition munitions and spare parts, the statement said.
“The United States will continue to work... to meet Ukraine’s urgently needed battlefield requirements and defend against Russian aggression,” it added.
The previous day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that of the 10,000 North Korean troops believed by the US to have been sent to Russia, up to 8,000 have been deployed to the Kursk region
“We’ve not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces, but we would expect that to happen in the coming days,” Mr Blinken told a news conference.
Ukrainian troops have been conducting a ground offensive in Kursk since August
Russia and North Korea have deepened their political and military alliance as the Ukraine war has dragged on, but sending Pyongyang’s troops into combat against Kyiv’s forces would mark a significant escalation that has sparked international concern.
The US has been a key military backer of Ukraine, committing more than US$60 billion in weapons, ammunition and other security aid since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. AFP
