4 HIMARS from US arrive in Ukraine; Defence Minister Reznikov thanks Biden for assistance

Four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS)  from the United States have arrived in Ukraine, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has confirmed. Taking to his Twitter handle, Reznikov expressed gratitude to US President Joe Biden and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin for strengthening the Ukrainian armed forces. The delivery of HIMARS to Ukraine comes amid the ongoing war with Russia which has been ongoing for more than 150 days. 

Reznikov underscored that Ukraine has become the "smart operator" of HIMARS and stressed that its sound has become a "top hit" at the front lines in the summer. Notably, the US has been providing economic, defence and humanitarian support to Ukraine ever since Russia began its offensive on February 24. Furthermore, US has been imposing sanctions against Russia for launching aggression in Ukraine.

On July 30, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov held talks with US counterpart Lloyd Austin. In the telephonic conversation, the two leaders discussed the situation on the battlefield and security assistance. Austin reaffirmed US' commitment to providing Ukraine with the support required to counter the Russian military offensive, according to the statement released by US Defence Department. Reznikov in a tweet had said that US Defence Secretary had told him "good news" and ways to bolster the defence capabilities of Ukraine. 

US announces additional security assistance for Ukraine 

The United States announced a new tranche of military assistance for Ukraine's armed forces on Monday, August 1. The new $550 million package includes arms and equipment from US Department of Defense (DoD) inventories for Ukraine’s self-defence. Notably, the latest defence assistance is the Biden administration's seventeenth drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.

The defence assistance includes 75,000 rounds of 155 mm artillery ammunition and additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). According to the statement released by Pentagon, the US has committed approximately $8.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration. The US Defence Department said that Washington will continue to work with the allies to support Ukraine. 

"To meet its evolving battlefield requirements, the United States will continue to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with key capabilities," US Defence Department said in a statement. 

Image: AP/Twitter/@oleksiireznikov