President Joe Biden announced the supply of precision rocket systems and munitions that could strike at long-range Russian targets, part of a $700 million weapons package expected to be unveiled on Wednesday.
"We have moved quickly to send Ukraine a significant amount of weaponry and ammunition so it can fight on the battlefield and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table," Biden wrote in an opinion piece in the New York Times.
A senior Biden administration official said the new supplies - such as drones and anti-aircraft missiles - included the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), which Kyiv has said is "crucial" to counter Russian missile attacks.
Ukraine welcomed the West's supply of weapons, which included M777 howitzers deployed along the frontline in the Luhansk region that includes Sieverodonetsk, although regional governor Gaidai decried a "rose-coloured" view of the situation.
"Weapons are coming but not in the volumes we wanted," he said. "There will be no victory just in an instant because of the 777 howitzer."
Addressing concerns that weapons such as HIMARS could draw the United States into direct conflict, senior administration officials said Ukraine had given assurances the missiles would not strike inside Russia.
New Weapons Package
The new U.S. package includes ammunition, counter-fire radars, a number of air surveillance radars, additional Javelin anti-tank missiles, as well as anti-armour weapons, officials said.
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| Anti-tank guided missile rocket |
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, accused by critics of dragging his feet in helping Ukraine, said on Wednesday Berlin would supply Kyiv with its IRIS-T medium-range surface-to-air defence system.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for more weapons while lambasting the European Union, which agreed on Monday to cut imports of Russian oil, for not sanctioning energy from Russia sooner.
The EU said it would ban imports of Russian oil by sea. Officials said that would halt two-thirds of Russia's oil exports to Europe at first, and 90% by the end of this year.
The war has disrupted Ukraine's exports of wheat and other commodities, hitting consumers with higher food prices, especially in the world's poorest countries.
Pope Francis appealed on Wednesday for all blockades on wheat exports from Ukraine to be lifted, saying grain should not be used as a "weapon of war".
Russia Reacts with Nuclear Forces
Russia, however, warned of an increased risk of direct confrontation with the United States. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state news agency RIA Novosti that Moscow viewed the development "extremely negatively."
Shortly after the U.S. decision was announced, the Russian defence ministry said Russia's nuclear forces were holding drills in the Ivanovo province, northeast of Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported.
Some 1,000 servicemen were exercising in intense manoeuvres using more than 100 vehicles including Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launchers, it said while citing the ministry.
There was no mention of the U.S. decision to supply new weapons in the Interfax report.
Russia has also completed testing of its hypersonic Zircon cruise missile and will deploy it by the end of the year on a new frigate of its Northern Fleet, a senior military officer said on Wednesday.
Responding to the EU oil embargo, Russia widened its gas cuts to Europe, driving prices higher and ratcheting up its economic battle with Brussels.
Source: Reuters
Image source: Pixabay
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