The United States will announce a new $1.3 billion military package to Ukraine in the coming days, Reuters reported on July 18, citing two unnamed US officials.
The weapons package includes air defenses, anti-drone systems, kamikaze drones, and ammunition. Among the systems and munitions the US plans to purchase for Kyiv are anti-aircraft defenses made by L3Harris Technologies (LHX.N) called Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment, or VAMPIRE.
Also included are two different types of loitering munitions, the Phoenix Ghost drone, made by AVEVEX, a private California company, and the Switchblade, made by AeroVironment Inc (AVAV.O).
In addition, Ukraine will get a significant number of anti-drone systems made by Australia’s DroneShield Ltd (DRO.AX), along with radar, sensor and analytics systems.
The purchase has been financed by the Ukrainian Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) program. Under this program, the US government can buy weapons from the arms industry instead of using its own arsenals. This announcement was made when Russia attacked various parts of Ukraine from the air, including the port of Odesa.
According to a local media outlet, This report came on the same day as a virtual meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein Group. The US Department of Defense organized the meeting and attended by Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov.
The Russians attack Odessa for the second night in a row
Meanwhile, the war between Russia and Ukraine has escalated with a massive airstrike on the Ukrainian port of Odesa for the second night in a row. Ukrainian officer Serhiy Bratchuk said the Russian attacks were “very powerful” and “really massive.”
Speaking of the war, a spokesman for the Odessa military administration said it had been a “hellish night” and that details on damage and casualties would come later. It should be noted that the attack came after Russia vowed to retaliate after the attack on the Crimean Bridge.
After the attack on the Crimean Bridge, Moscow suspended the agreement that allowed Ukrainian grain to be transported to the rest of the world. After the suspension of the agreement on the grain, Ukraine announced that it wanted to continue trading without Russia. It should be noted that Odesa is one of the main Ukrainian grain export ports.
Mike Stone
