Ukraine getting US armored bridge-layers for spring fight
WASHINGTON — The U.S. announced a new $400 million military aid package for Ukraine on Friday that for the first time includes armored vehicles that can launch bridges — allowing troops to cross rivers or other gaps as Russian and Ukrainian forces remain entrenched on opposite sides of the Dnieper River.
The war had largely slowed to a grinding stalemate during the winter months, but both sides are expected to launch offensives as temperatures warm.
This round of aid will be drawn from existing U.S. weapons stockpiles so it can arrive in Ukraine faster. The U.S. and allies are trying to rush additional support to Kyiv to best position it for intensified spring fighting.
The Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge is a portable, 60-foot folding metal bridge that is carried on top of a tank body. Providing that system now could make it easier for Ukrainian troops to cross rivers to get at Russian forces.
Because Ukraine also continues to face shortages of ammunition in the intense firefight, this aid package, like previous ones, includes thousands of replacement rounds. It also includes demolition munitions and equipment for clearing obstacles to help Ukraine break through dug-in lines.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, the U.S. has sent in more than $32 billion in weapons and equipment.
The U.S. is also roughly tripling the number of Ukrainian forces it is training in advanced battle tactics at a base in Germany, to help them punch through entrenched Russian lines. At the Grafenwoehr training area, Ukrainian forces run through a five-week course that prepares them to conduct advanced combined arms maneuvers with armored vehicles. The first 600 Ukrainian troops completed the course last month and 1,600 more are in training.
The aid will also include spare parts and equipment for vehicle maintenance and repair.
German Chancellor Olaf
Scholz said Western allies would support Ukraine “as long as it takes” as he visited the White House on Friday for a private meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.
The two leaders are huddling as the war enters a difficult next phase, with fresh concerns about softening political resolve behind maintaining billions of dollars in military assistance for Kyiv.
China wasn’t mentioned during their brief public remarks in the Oval Office, although the meeting comes as both countries have become increasingly vocal about concerns that Beijing may step off the sidelines and supply weapons to Russia.
Such a step could dramatically change the war’s trajectory by allowing Moscow to replenish its depleted stockpiles.
China is Germany’s top trading partner, and European nations have generally been more cautious than the United States in taking a hard line with Beijing. However, there are signs that may be shifting as global rivalries grow more tense.