The aid comes as Moscow this week claimed full control of Ukraine’s Luhansk province in the Donbass, but Ukrainian officials say their troops still control a small part of the province and fierce fighting continues in several villages. The defense official said the eight high-mobility artillery rocket systems, or HIMARS, that were previously sent are still being used by Ukrainian forces in the fight. That will give them four more to help strike Russian command and control hubs, logistics capabilities and other systems further back behind the battlefront. A senior military official said at least 100 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained at HIMAR. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that have not yet been released. Russia in recent days has fired dozens of missiles across Ukraine and pinned down Ukrainian forces with sustained long-range fire for several hours at a time. The US military official said 10 to 15 Russian tactical battalion groups are in the Donbass region, but that Russia has suffered significant losses in recent fighting and may have to stop to reorganize and re-equip. There are 800 to 1,000 soldiers in a regular battalion group. Ukraine’s leaders have publicly called on Western allies to quickly send more munitions and advanced systems to help them close the gap in equipment and manpower. Precision weapons can help Ukraine hit Russian weapons that are farther away and are used to bomb Ukrainian sites. The latest aid, approved by President Joe Biden on Friday afternoon, is the 15th package of military weapons and equipment transferred to Ukraine from Defense Department stockpiles since last August. In addition to HIMARS, the US will also send 1,000 155mm artillery shells that have increased accuracy capability that will also help Ukraine hit specific targets. The package will also include three tactical vehicles, counter-battery radar systems, spare parts and other equipment. Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Todd Breisel said the aid would meet critical needs for the Ukraine struggle. Looking ahead to the coming months, the defense official said a key goal is to build Ukraine’s logistics and repair capabilities so troops can maintain their weapons systems and continue the fight into the future. In total, the US has sent about $7.3 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war began in late February. Luhansk is one of two provinces that make up Donbas, a region of mines and factories where Moscow separatists fought Ukraine’s army for eight years and declared themselves independent republics that Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized before sending troops into Ukraine. Putin warned on Thursday that Kyiv must accept Moscow’s terms or prepare for the worst, saying Russia has yet to “start anything serious”. U.S. and other Western officials have said Russia is making slow, incremental progress in Donbas, but has not made gains as quickly as Moscow initially wanted. Biden said the US is providing the Ukrainians with the assistance they need to continue resisting Russian aggression. “I don’t know how it’s going to end, but it’s not going to end with a Russian defeat of Ukraine in Ukraine,” Biden said last week. ——— Follow AP’s coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at
