After months of agonizing deliberations, the United States has agreed to send long-range bombs to Ukraine as Kiev prepares for a spring offensive to retake territories captured by Russia last year.
This was announced by US officials, confirming that the new weaponry will roughly double the range of offensive weapons that America has previously supplied.
The United States will provide ground-launched bombs as part of a $2.17 billion aid package expected to be announced on Friday, several U.S. officials said.
The package includes, for the first time, equipment to link the various air defense systems supplied by Western allies and integrate them into Kiev’s own air defense systems to help Ukraine better defend against missile attacks Russians in progress.
For months, US officials have balked at sending long-range weapons systems to Ukraine, fearing they could be used against targets inside Russia, escalating the conflict and dragging the US deeper into far.
Long-range bombs are another modern weapon system, after Abrams tanks and Patriot anti-missile systems, which the United States finally agreed to supply to Ukraine after initially refusing. At the same time, US officials continue to reject requests for fighter jets from Ukraine.
The United States will send an undetermined number of small-diameter bombs with a range of 150 kilometers, officials said.
To date, the range of missiles supplied by the United States does not exceed 80 kilometers. Funding for the new aid package is intended for long-term purchases, so it is not yet clear how long it will be before the bombs reach the battlefield in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Thursday that the country was ready to provide guarantees to Western partners that their weapons will not be used to strike Russian territory.
The aid package includes $425 million in ammunition and support equipment to be drawn from existing Pentagon stockpiles and $1.75 billion in new funding through the United Nations Security Assistance Initiative. Ukraine, which is used to buy new weapons from military-industrial enterprises.
It is through this initiative that the purchase of long-range bombs and the integration of air defense systems will be paid for. It also funds the purchase of HAWK anti-aircraft missile systems, anti-aircraft guns and ammunition, and anti-drone systems.
Ukraine is still asking for F-16 fighter jets, something US President Joe Biden has opposed since the start of the war.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov was asked if he thought Biden’s “no” on F-16 deliveries was the US president’s last word.
“All types of assistance have gone through the ‘no’ stage first,” Reznikov said. “But that only means ‘no’ at the moment. Then comes the “let’s discuss and explore the technical possibilities” stage. The third step is “train your soldiers”. And the fourth step is the provision of equipment.
