US announces hundreds of millions in additional military aid for Ukraine
Washington DC - The US government has announced new military aid for Ukraine amounting to $325 million.
The package mainly includes ammunition for weapons systems such as the HIMARS multiple rocket launcher and artillery shells, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday.
According to the White House, the new aid comes from US military stocks.
"This new security assistance will enable Ukraine to continue to bravely defend itself in the face of Russia's brutal, unprovoked and unjustified war," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
The US is considered Kyiv's most important ally in the fight against Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion over a year ago, and has been supplying military aid worth billions of dollars.
The Development Ministry in Germany also pledged a further €111 million ($121.6 million) in aid to Ukraine for the reconstruction of the country.
Russia continues its attacks on Ukraine
On the ground in the conflict, the Russian army attacked the Odessa region with 12 drones, damaging part of public infrastructure but resulting in no casualties, Ukrainian authorities said on Wednesday.
The drones that evaded Ukraine's air defenses damaged an "object of public infrastructure" late on Tuesday evening in the city on the Black Sea, the Odessa regional administration said without providing more detail.
The Ukrainian air force shot down 10 of the 12 drones, it said.
Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine with combat drones since last autumn, often targeting public infrastructure such as power plants.
Cover photo: STEFANI REYNOLDS / AFP