Pentagon Sending More Air Defenses To Ukraine Amid Counteroffensive

The Pentagon on June 13 announced a new batch of aid being surged to Ukraine shortly before the latest meeting of like-minded nations focused on supporting Kyiv in its war with Russia.

The announcement of $325 million in equipment includes additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), Stinger anti-aircraft systems, additional ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, artillery rounds, Bradley and Stryker vehicles, anti-armor munitions, small arms and other equipment. 

The aid, which is a drawdown of existing U.S. stocks, is the 40th such tranche since August 2021. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters that the drawdown represents continued support, even as reports emerged of battlefield losses of U.S.-provided equipment. This tranche has been in consideration for weeks and is not directly tied to the counteroffensive, she says.

The announcement came as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley were en route to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where Austin will host a meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group. The collection of dozens of nations meets about every month to determine what aid is most needed by Ukraine. 

In the past week, Ukraine launched its long-awaited counteroffensive in the country’s west and south. The push includes units recently trained on Western-provided vehicles and munitions. Ukraine has claimed limited gains so far, freeing villages in areas previously held by Russia. In a statement late June 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the battles had been fierce, though “the enemy’s losses are exactly what we need.”