US announces further Ukraine military aid package worth $255 million

The United States announced a further military aid package for Ukraine worth $255 million on Thursday to help the country battle against the ongoing Russian invasion.

The new package includes the Patriot air-defence system already announced by the US, as well as NASAMS anti-aircraft missiles, HIMARS multiple rocket launchers as well as 155-millimetre and 105-millimetre artillery ammunition, according to the Pentagon.

The weapons will be provided from existing US military stocks, it said.

Shortly before the announcement, US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met for talks on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington.

The US and other NATO states had already promised Ukraine extensive new aid to defend against Russian air attacks at the start of the summit.

According to the Pentagon, the US has now provided Kiev with military aid amounting to more than $53.7 billion since Russia launched the full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.