Washington announced a new $600 million military aid package for Kyiv. This was reported on the Pentagon website.

"Today, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the approval of a presidential security assistance package of up to $600 million to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs," the department said.

The Pentagon also released the details of the new tranche.

So, it included additional ammunition for the HIMARS MLRS, artillery shells, anti-artillery radars and means of combating drones.

In addition, the new weapons package includes four trucks, mine clearance and cold weather equipment, small arms and night vision goggles.

The US Department of Defense stressed that in total, the United States allocated about $15.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine after the Joe Biden administration came to power, including more than $15.1 billion since the start of Russia's special operation in Ukraine.

Recall that Washington announced the next tranche to Kyiv last week.

The $675 million package also included HIMARS MLRS ammunition, four 105mm howitzers and 36,000 rounds for them, HARM anti-radar missiles, 100 HMMWV armored vehicles, more than 5,000 anti-tank systems, 1.5 million rounds of ammunition for small arms and night vision systems.

In addition, Washington has already delivered 16 HIMARS MLRS to Kyiv, promised to send eight NASAMS air defense systems, ammunition for them, as well as 1.5 thousand TOW anti-tank guided missiles.

Previous military assistance packages also included more than 1.4 thousand Stinger air defense systems, at least 8.5 thousand Javelin anti-tank systems, 20 Mi-17 helicopters, 200 M113 armored personnel carriers (APCs), as well as hundreds of drones, in particular Switchblade, Phoenix Ghost, Sky Eagle and Puma.

And, as Pentagon spokesman General Pat Ryder clarified, two NASAMS anti-aircraft missile systems will arrive in Ukraine within two months.

Red line

It should be noted that on September 12, The Wall Street Journal, citing a document provided to US congressmen, reported that Kyiv was requesting additional weapons from Washington, including long-range missile systems, which the US had previously refused to provide.

According to the WSJ, the list of the Kyiv regime includes 29 types of weapons and projectiles - in particular, ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles with a range of about 300 km, tanks, UAVs and 2,000 missiles for HIMARS.

However, CNN, citing sources among US officials, said that, at least for now, Washington is still not ready to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with long-range missile systems, such as ATACMS, which Kyiv has been asking for "for several months."

“The range of ATACMS is up to 300 km.

The administration (USA.

- RT

) still believes that the provision of these complexes could lead to an escalation, since they can be used to shell the territory of Russia itself.

Currently, the maximum range of weapons supplied by the United States to Ukraine is about 80 km, ”the journalists say.

  • MLRS HIMARS

  • © Department of Defense/ LCpl Aaron S. Patterson

CNN also quotes U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl as saying in late August that, according to Washington's assessment, "Kyiv does not require ATACMS to work on targets directly related to current combat."

At the same time, statements are already being heard in Congress about the need to send such weapons to Ukraine.

As Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio stressed in an interview with CNN, the US authorities should send the APU everything they need, to the extent that the United States can provide it "and as far as it is appropriate."

“I think some fear that longer-range missiles could be aimed deep into Russian territory and provoke a larger conflict.

(But.

- RT

) it hardly worries me that much, ”said Rubio.

Subsequently, the coordinator of the National Security Council for strategic communications of the United States, John Kirby, in an interview with MSNBC, admitted the possibility of supplying advanced missile systems to Ukraine.

“I believe you will notice some consistency with our actions in the past, namely, providing them (Ukraine.

- RT

) with the weapons and means that they so desperately need in this fight - both in the east and, frankly, in the south (countries.

- RT

).

Here are some of them: obviously, this is artillery, obviously, these are advanced missile systems that will help them strike outside the Russian defensive lines, ”he said.

At the same time, Moscow has repeatedly noted that the possible supply of American ATACMS ballistic missiles to Kyiv is fraught with the United States being drawn into a conflict with Russia.

In particular, this week was announced by Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov.

“If Kyiv receives such weapons, large Russian cities, as well as industrial and transport infrastructure facilities, will fall into the area of ​​​​possible destruction,” he said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

In turn, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, stressed during a briefing that if Washington decides to supply Kyiv with longer-range missiles, it will thereby cross the red line and "become a direct party to the conflict."

“We reserve the right to defend Russian territory with all means available to us,” she said.

"Urgent Events"

Experts state that the United States continues to develop its strategy to escalate military tensions in Ukraine, and the next tranche to Kyiv only confirms this.

“Washington is implementing this plan through the hands of the Ukrainian side, which now, on the eve of winter and cold weather, needs to be fueled, including with additional shells for HIMARS and other weapons.

The United States is carrying out the most urgent measures that are needed to ensure the combat capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

If it were not for the supply of American weapons, not for the participation of Western instructors and foreign mercenaries, the Ukrainian army would no longer be able to conduct military operations, ”Alexey Podberezkin, director of the MGIMO Center for Military-Political Research, explained in an interview with RT.

In addition, according to him, Washington has long been actively involved in providing information and intelligence activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“Without this, Kyiv could not have done anything at all, for example, manage the same HIMARS.

At the same time, Washington is still afraid to officially announce the shipment of extended-range projectiles for such MLRS to Ukraine, but continues to test the waters on this issue, ”says the analyst.

  • Pentagon

  • © US Air Force / Sgt.

    Ken Hammond

A similar point of view is shared by the military observer, Colonel of the Reserve Gennady Alekhin.

According to him, the Russian Armed Forces continue to make efforts to destroy Western military equipment in Ukraine, but if American long-range weapons are sent to Kyiv, "the stakes could increase many times over."

“Russian troops will continue to use air defense systems, special forces units that identify the location of enemy warehouses and firing positions.

Such data helps the Russian Armed Forces to destroy and suppress Western weapons, and long-range missiles will not be an exception.

However, sending, for example, ATACMS weapons can already provoke a direct conflict between Russia and the United States, since it endangers Russian civilian infrastructure, ”Alekhin said in a conversation with RT.

In turn, military expert Yuri Knutov admitted that Washington could later supply ATACMS missiles to Ukraine without making this information public.

“The United States may not advertise this, as, for example, it was with HARM anti-radar missiles.

Washington is able to take such a step because it is interested that the hostilities last as long as possible.

And this means an increase in the number of deaths, including among civilians, who are often covered by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, ”the analyst argues.

Knutov also noted that the new military assistance package to Kyiv is designed to reduce the intensity of shelling of Ukrainian positions.

“The list includes anti-artillery radars that the Kyiv regime plans to use against the heavy artillery of the RF Armed Forces, which plays a decisive role in breaking through the enemy’s defenses.

By sending Kyiv means of combating drones, Washington is thus reacting to the increase in the number of UAVs by the Russian side, ”the expert explained.

In his opinion, the United States is meeting the wishes of the Kyiv regime in the hope of "reducing the offensive potential of the Russian Federation."

“But the only thing that American military assistance can affect is the timing of the end of the NWO.

If not for American supplies, the Russian special operation in Ukraine would have been completed, ”Knutov suggested.