9:20 am: New US military aid of $270 million to Ukraine
The United States on Friday announced a new round of $270 million in military aid to Ukraine, notably including four new Himars precision artillery systems. Washington has delivered a total of 20 units of these multiple rocket launchers on light armor to Kyiv after this new delivery, said John Kirby, spokesman for the White House for strategic questions.
Russia “has launched deadly bombing raids across the country, hitting malls and apartment buildings and killing innocent Ukrainian civilians,” John Kirby said. “In the face of these atrocities, the President has made it clear that we will support the Ukrainian government and its people for as long as necessary,” he added.
The highly mobile Himars fire GPS-guided missiles at a range of 80 kilometers, allowing Ukraine to hit previously out-of-range Russian targets. The United States will also provide 36,000 additional shells, up to 580 Phoenix Ghost kamikaze drones, and four armored command posts.