US set to announce purchase of advanced surface-to-air missile defence system for Ukraine

In a bid to bolster support for Ukraine against Russian invasion, the United States is set to announce the purchase of medium-to-long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. According to information acquired by CNN from sources close to Washington, US President Joe Biden, who is currently participating in the G7 Summit in Germany, is ready to procure "more advanced rocket system and munitions" to help Kyiv deter "unprovoked" Russian aggression. This comes as the grinding Russian war in Ukraine intensified to unprecedented levels in the past days.

In adherence to requests made by Kyiv, Washington is also expected to announce additional military assistance, including artillery ammo and counter-battery radars, CNN reported. Noting high-profile missile losses, Ukraine officials also demanded modified missile defence systems, known as the NASAMS system. These weapons precisely hit targets even at 100 miles from the source. Apart from delivering such top-class military equipment, the US will also train the Ukrainian defenders to use them.

Notably, the US has been the largest provider of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine in the wake of the war. The military assistance alone has reached nearly $5 billion after two consecutive packages worth $1 billion and $450 million earlier this month. The supplies under this include four more multiple launcher systems (MLRS) and artillery ammunition for other systems. Meanwhile, the overall aid promise to Ukraine from the US has crossed $50 billion in 2022 alone.

Experts noted that the increase in delivery of defence equipment and humanitarian support to Kyiv by the US is due to intel assessment envisioning a long and bruising battle in east Ukraine.

US seeks to strike 'right balance' by sending Soviet-era weapons to war-torn Ukraine

The US Defense Department has decided to help Ukraine to maintain the "right balance" by supplying Soviet-era weapons along with the Western model's arms to the war-hit Ukraine. On Saturday, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby stated during a press briefing that the US wants to make sure that the right balance is maintained in this war, and the Ukrainian armed forces must get the systems to which they are accustomed, as well as the systems they need.

"We want to make sure that the right balance is maintained here, and they (the Armed Forces, ed.) get the systems to which they are accustomed, as well as the systems they need, the use of which does not reduce their combat readiness on the ground," Kirby stated. According to a Pentagon spokesperson, the war in Ukraine is becoming increasingly artillery-centric, with modernised weapons being sent to Ukraine, and a significant amount of time is being invested in training the Ukrainian soldiers to use the said weapons, which will result in the withdrawal of soldiers from the battlefield. He recalled the initial days of the war when Western partners delivered Soviet weapons to Ukraine that the Ukrainian military was familiar with. "There is still a need for that... I mean, they still use these systems," he said.

(Image: AP (representative)