The United States Monday announced nearly $2.5 billion in new aid for Ukraine as part of a surge of assistance in the waning days of the Biden administration.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement the aid includes air defense munitions, counter-drone munitions, ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, anti-tank weapons and artillery munitions.
U.S. President Joe Biden said the aid “will provide Ukraine with both an immediate influx of capabilities that it continues to use to great effect on the battlefield and longer-term supplies of air defense, artillery, and other critical weapons systems.”
The package comes three weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has questioned the level of U.S. aid for Ukraine, raising concerns among Ukrainian leaders that future U.S. support could be in jeopardy.
Ukraine’s military said Monday it shot down 21 drones that Russian forces used in attacks overnight targeting multiple areas across northern and eastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian air force said Russia launched a total of 43 drones, and that its air defenses shot down drones over the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odesa and Poltava regions.
Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram that falling drone debris damaged five residential buildings but did not hurt anyone.
Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported a building fire caused by a drone attack, as well as a drone hit near a highway. He added there were no casualties in his region.
Russia’s defense ministry said Monday it intercepted a drone over the Belgorod region located along the Russia-Ukraine border.
Regional officials in Kursk also said Russian air defenses shot down a Ukrainian missile early Monday.
Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters.
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