The Pentagon has announced that it is providing Ukraine with an additional $425 million in military assistance, marking the 69th tranche of U.S. military equipment sent to Kyiv since mid-2021.
The aid package, funded through Presidential Drawdown Authority, reflects the Biden administration’s ongoing commitment to backing Ukraine in its effort to counter Russia’s invasion. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during during his visit to Kyiv last week that more help would soon be on its way.
“America’s values call us to stand by a peaceful democracy fighting for its life,” Austin said. “And America’s security demands that we stand up to Putin’s aggression.”
The new package includes additional interceptors for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and Stinger missiles, both aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s air defense capabilities against aerial threats from Russian forces. Additional counter-unmanned aerial systems and air-to-ground munitions are also part of the package, targeting the threat posed by Russian drones and other airborne attacks.
To support Ukraine’s artillery needs, the aid package provides munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, as well as 155 mm and 105 mm artillery shells. The latest assistance further includes Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems, enhancing Ukraine’s ability to counter armored threats.
The package also includes armored personnel carriers, small arms, ammunition, and demolition equipment, as well as medical equipment to support frontline soldiers.
Speaking in Kyiv last month, Austin said that the United States had already committed over $58 billion in security assistance since February 2022, a figure that did not include the newly announced $425 million that will now be added to the tally. U.S. allies and partners have provided an additional $51 billion in aid, he added, calling it a “very real financial commitment.”
“But for anyone who thinks that American leadership is expensive—well, consider the price of American retreat,” Austin said. “In the face of aggression, the price of principle is always dwarfed by the cost of capitulation.”
Russia’s alliance with North Korea is also evolving, according to ISW, which highlighted recent high-level meetings between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his North Korean counterpart Choe Son-hui in Moscow on Nov. 1.
“Choe claimed that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un instructed North Korea to support Russia’s ‘holy war’ against Ukraine until Russia’s victory,” the ISW assessment reads. ISW analysts called Choe’s invocation of the concept of a “holy war” against Ukraine as “notable,” given the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church has used similar language in support of Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, describing it as an existential and civilizational struggle.
North Korean troops have reportedly begun deploying in Russia, with some units expected to join combat operations near Kursk in the coming days, ISW’s report states. However, the ISW assessment argues that these forces are unlikely to sustain Russia’s manpower needs, as Russian casualties are currently estimated to exceed replacement rates.
