US doubles Ukraine’s arsenal of long-range missile systems that shifted course of war

THE United States announced last night it was sending 18 new Himars missile systems to Ukraine, more than doubling its arsenal of the game-changing, longrange weapons.

The missiles are part of a new package of arms and supplies for Ukraine worth $1.1 billion for reinforcing Kyiv’s forces over the medium and long term.

The package of orders for US military suppliers also includes Himars ammunition, systems to counter drones, radars and armoured vehicles, according to a Defence Department statement.

The package “represents a multi-year investment in critical capabilities to build the enduring strength of Ukraine’s Armed Forces” as they continue to battle the invading Russian army, the Pentagon said. The new package took the total military aid from the United States to Ukraine since the Russians invaded on Feb 24 to $16.2billion (£14.9billion).

The Himars are highly accurate missile systems which the Ukrainians have been using effectively since June to hit Russian arms depots and command posts far behind the front lines.

Analysis suggests their introduction has changed the direction of the war, allowing Ukraine to launch unprecedented counter attacks.

The package includes 150 armoured vehicles, 150 tactical vehicles for towing weapons, trucks and trailers, and systems to help Ukraine defend against Russia’s Iranian-made drones, increasingly deployed on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, the US has told the European Union to accelerate its financial support for Ukraine.

Washington has issued warnings to the European Commission and its 27 member states to stress the need to “expeditiously deliver promised economic assistance to Ukraine”.

“We reiterate our call for all of Ukraine’s partners to more quickly deliver promised assistance to Ukraine, to increase their commitments, and to prioritise assistance in the form of grants over loans,” a US official told the Financial Times.

Brussels promised €9billion in budgetary aid to keep Kyiv solvent in May, but has only delivered €1billion of its pledge. Another €5 billion agreed by member states and the European Parliament this month is still waiting to be disbursed.