Pentagon reveals details of new $800 million package of military aid to Ukraine
On Friday, the US Department of Defense released details of a new USD 800 million military aid package to Ukraine, which includes dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM), or cluster munitions.
Source: European Pravda
The new US military aid package includes additional ammunition for Patriot air defence systems and HIMARS systems, 155 mm and 100 mm artillery rounds, AIM-7 air defence missiles, and Stinger anti-aircraft and Javelin anti-tank systems.
Among the equipment mentioned are 31 155-mm howitzers, 32 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and 32 Stryker armoured personnel carriers, as well as 27 tactical vehicles for evacuating equipment and 10 tactical vehicles to tow and haul equipment.
In addition, as part of the latest package of military aid, the United States is providing demining equipment, TOW missiles, "precision aerial munitions", Penguin unmanned aerial systems, demolitions munitions and systems for obstacle clearing, small arms, more than 28 million rounds of them, and spare parts and other field equipment.
This is the 42nd aid package that the United States is delivering to Ukraine under the Presidential Drawdown Authority program, that is, directly from its own reserves. Total military aid since February 2022 is over USD 41.3 million.
Cluster munitions usually disperse a large number of submunitions, so they are considered more dangerous to the civilian population. These munitions also have an equally high percentage of failure, making them dangerous for years after the end of a conflict.
In 2008, more than 120 countries adopted a treaty banning the production, use, and stockpiling of cluster munitions. The United States, Russia and Ukraine refused to join it.
Background: The White House has previously explained that providing cluster munitions is a temporary measure until the capacities for the production of conventional artillery munitions are deployed. In addition, Ukraine pledged to minimise the risk of using cluster munitions.
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