Ukraine receives another set of US weaponry assistance as war continues on Day 55

In the midst of Russian aggression in Ukraine, the war-torn country is receiving assistance from all over the world. The United States, which from the beginning has helped Ukraine fight the Russian forces has sent another set of military aid to Ukraine. Pentagon stated that the first supplies of the latest batch of US military aid to Ukraine, which includes heavier weaponry systems, began arriving in the region this weekend.

As per the reports of CBS News, Howitzer artillery systems, 40,000 artillery rounds, armoured personnel vehicles, and other weapons are among the $800 million in security aid that was recently approved. US senior defence official stated that four flights of assistance package shipments arrived in the region over the weekend, with a fifth coming in the next 24 hours. The official didn't say which weapons from the new shipment were the first to arrive in the region.

Pentagon plans to begin training Ukrainian personnel

In a news briefing, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the Pentagon plans to begin training Ukrainian personnel on how to use the US-supplied Howitzers in the coming days. Following that, the Ukrainian trainers will train more troops. Kirby said that the training isn't expected to take long because the Ukrainians already know how to use artillery systems and only need to acquaint themselves with the American ones. Ukrainian artillery systems are 152mm, whereas 155mm artillery systems are being supplied by the US, according to CBS.

Kirby further stated that Pentagon is currently conducting "staging operations" in the east, which entails creating the conditions for more aggressive, overt, and larger ground manoeuvres. After failing to gain control of Kyiv, Russia has refocused on the Donbas region. Because the terrain in southeastern Ukraine is more flat and open than in the north, the upcoming battle will likely rely more on armoured vehicles and artillery systems than in the north.

'Ukrainians requested artillery': Pentagon Spokesperson

On Monday, a Pentagon spokesperson also said that the artillery is a specific weapon that the Ukrainians requested because of the specific conflict they anticipate in the Donbas region. He also claimed that switchblade drones, more Javelin anti-tank missiles, and armoured personnel carriers are part of the $800 million in aid to Ukraine that was recently approved.

Image: AP