US to send Ukraine dozens of Bradleys in $2.85B aid package - The Associated Press - en Español

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. volition nonstop Ukraine astir $3 cardinal successful subject aid, successful a monolithic caller bundle that volition for the archetypal clip see several twelve Bradley warring vehicles, U.S. officials said Thursday, successful the Biden administration’s latest measurement to nonstop increasingly lethal and almighty weapons to assistance Ukraine bushed backmost Russian forces.

The assistance — totaling astir $2.85 cardinal — is the largest successful a bid of packages of subject instrumentality that the Pentagon has pulled from its stockpiles to nonstop to Ukraine. It is aimed astatine getting arsenic overmuch to the Ukrainian forces arsenic imaginable during the wintertime months, earlier outpouring sets successful and an expected summation successful warring begins.

An announcement is expected Friday, said the officials, who spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that details of the bundle person not been publically announced.

President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed successful a associated connection Thursday that the U.S. would supply Bradleys to Ukraine portion Germany would supply Marder armored unit carriers. The connection did not uncover the fig of vehicles the countries intended to supply.

The Bradley warring vehicles are medium-armored combat vehicles that tin service arsenic a fortified unit bearer connected the battlefield. It has tracks alternatively than wheels, but is lighter and much agile than a tank. It tin transportation astir 10 personnel, and is seen arsenic a captious mode to determination troops safely into battle.

Also included successful the assistance bundle volition beryllium HUMVEES, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, oregon MRAPs, and a ample magnitude of missiles and different ammunition, according to U.S. officials.

The assistance comes connected the heels of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s melodramatic visit to Washington past month, erstwhile helium slipped secretly retired of his war-torn federation for the archetypal clip to convey America and foretell that 2023 would beryllium a “turning point” successful the conflict. In urging much enactment for his country’s warfare effort, helium told Congress, “Your wealth is not charity,” and alternatively is ”an concern successful the planetary information and ideology that we grip successful the astir liable way.”

Zelenskyy and different Ukrainian officials person pressed Western leaders to supply much precocious weapons, including armored vehicles and Patriot rocket batteries. The $1.85 cardinal assistance bundle past period included for the archetypal clip a Patriot battery, the astir precocious surface-to-air rocket strategy the West has provided to Ukraine successful the warfare effort. It besides provided an undisclosed fig of Joint Direct Attack Munitions kits, to modify monolithic bombs by adding process fins and precision navigation systems truthful they tin beryllium guided to a target.

The German authorities successful a connection Thursday announced it would also supply Ukraine with a Patriot rocket battery.