The Pentagon announced Friday that it is set to give the Armed Forces of Ukraine more military assets used in land, air and sea as part of its latest $400 million defense aid.
Ukrainian forces are expected to receive 40 armored patrol boats and 45 refurbished tanks funded by the U.S. government as part of the latest military aid package, according to a press release issued by the Department of Defense (DOD). The Pentagon will also allot 1,100 explosive drones known as the Phoenix Ghost Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems to Ukraine, the press release noted.
Pentagon announces new $400 mn military aid package for Ukraine
The package includes:
💠45 refurbished T-72B tanks with advanced optics, communications, & armor packages
💠1,100 Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aerial systems
💠40 armored riverine boats https://t.co/UPQe9rdImb— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) November 4, 2022
The Pentagon previously gave Ukraine 18 armored patrol boats, known as riverine boats, back in June, the U.S. Naval Institute News reported. (RELATED: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Asks Congress For More Jets, Sanctions On Russia)
On the same day that the DOD announced the newest package including the 40 riverine vessels, Russian forces struck a Ukrainian armored patrol boat with a drone near the Dnieper River, Naval News reported.
The refurbished tanks that the U.S. is allocating to Ukraine reportedly are of Soviet origin and the allocation efforts are in conjunction with the government of the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, Breaking Defense reported. The Soviet tanks are called T-72Bs.
Despite being outdated, the tanks will be upgraded with “advanced optics, communications and armor packages,” according to the DOD.
Another NATO country, the Netherlands is footing the bill for sending an additional 45 of the same upgraded tanks from the Czechs to Ukraine, the statement read.
The Dutch, the U.S. and the Czech Republic governments have agreed to a pact to ensure that Ukraine benefits from the overhauled T-72Bs. The trilateral tank allocation initiative amounts to a total of $90 million, Breaking Defense noted.
NEWS: The U.S. 🇺🇸 and the Netherlands 🇳🇱 are partnering with the Czech Republic 🇨🇿 to provide 90 overhauled and modernized T-72B tanks as part of a $400M Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package. https://t.co/bJdRkYPdgN
— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) November 4, 2022
Since President Joe Biden took office, the U.S. has allocated an excess of $18.9 billion in defense aid to the eastern European country, according to the DOD. (RELATED: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Says He’s Open To Negotiations With Russia)
A Zekenskyy administration senior official took to Twitter to thank President Biden for the latest military package:
Many thanks to to @POTUS, Congress & the 🇺🇸 people for another military aid package for 🇺🇦 worth $400 million.
It includes, among other things, T-72 tanks, M1117 APCs, armored boats, Phoenix Ghost drones.
Our allies’ aid is nesessary for 🇺🇦 to withstand and repell RF.
— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) November 4, 2022
It is unclear exactly what kind of riverine boats the Ukrainians will receive from the assistance.