Washington slides $3bn in new weapons down Ukraine’s chimney for Orthodox Christmas

(Originally published Jan. 9 in “What in the World“) Orthodox Christmas was Jan. 7, and Washington made sure Kyiv’s stocking was well-stuffed.

The White House and the Pentagon announced that the United States was sending Ukraine the largest package of American military aid yet, $2.85 billion worth of weaponry that includes not just Bradley Fighting Vehicles with TOW missiles for killing Russian tanks, but also 155mm Paladin self-propelled howitzers for the first time (a full inventory appears below).

The package, which brings to $24.9 billion the amount of military aid Washington has provided to Ukraine under U.S. President Joe Biden, provides an additional $225 million in financing for Ukraine to buy even more U.S. arms. It also provides $682 million in financing for the Eastern European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. That funding to NATO’s Eastern flank is meant to help restock arsenals depleted by donations to Ukraine.

Ukraine warns that Russia is preparing to mobilize an additional 500,000 draftees to throw into a new offensive. Concerns continue to grow that Moscow may also be enlisting Belarus to join the war. Military exercises between the two have been expanded and extended following a visit to Minsk by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

• 50 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles with 500 TOW anti-tank missiles and 250,000 rounds of 25mm ammunition;
• 100 M113 Armored Personnel Carriers;
• 55 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs);
• 138 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs);
• 18 155mm self-propelled Howitzers and 18 ammunition support vehicles;
• 70,000 155mm artillery rounds; 
• 500 precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds;
• 1,200 155mm rounds of Remote Anti-Armor Mine (RAAM) Systems;
• 36 105mm towed Howitzers and 95,000 105mm artillery rounds;
• 10,000 120mm mortar rounds;
• Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
• RIM-7 missiles for air defense;
• 4,000 Zuni aircraft rockets; 
• Approximately 2,000 anti-armor rockets;
• Sniper rifles, machine guns, and ammunition for grenade launchers and small arms;
• Claymore anti-personnel munitions;
• Night vision devices and optics;
• Spare parts and other field equipment.