IRIA News

United States Defense Department has announced an additional security assistance package of up to $800 million for Ukraine including munitions for Patriot and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin H. Kahl announced the latest military package and said that the United States is providing the new capability to Ukraine to meet the “urgency of the moment” as Ukrainian forces continue their counteroffensive.

According to the Pentagon release, the latest security assistance package would provide “key capabilities to support Ukraine’s counteroffensive operations and defend against Russia’s war of aggression.” The statement highlighted that the package includes “additional munitions for U.S.-provided Patriot air defense systems and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems”.

The Department of Defense statement added that the package also contains, “additional artillery systems and ammunition, including dual-purpose improved conventional munitions, or DPICM, which the Pentagon is providing for the first time to Ukraine after extensive consultation with Congress and U.S. allies.”

Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Kahl stressed that the new package will “ensure we can sustain our support for Ukraine by bringing us to a point where we are producing sufficient artillery ammunition on a monthly basis across the coalition.” He added that with the announcement, the U.S. will be able to immediately provide Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery at a critical time in the offensive.

The latest military package also includes cluster munitions that can pose a serious threat to the civilian population as they leave behind a large number of unexploded bomblets that can remain dangerous for decades after the end of a conflict.

U.S. working with Ukraine to minimize cluster munition risks

The United States official noted the potential risk the cluster munitions could pose to the civilian population in areas where the rounds are deployed. The Pentagon statement stressed that the United States is working with Ukraine to minimize the risks associated with the munitions.

On providing cluster munitions to Ukraine, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said during a White House press briefing, “We recognize that cluster munitions create a risk of civilian harm from unexploded ordnance. This is why we’ve deferred the decision for as long as we could. But there is also a massive risk of civilian harm if Russian troops and tanks roll over Ukrainian positions and take more Ukrainian territory and subjugate more Ukrainian civilians because Ukraine does not have enough artillery. That is intolerable to us.”

Sullivan stressed that “Russia has been using cluster munitions with high dud or failure rates of between 30 and 40 percent. In this environment, Ukraine has been requesting cluster munitions in order to defend its own sovereign territory.” He added that the cluster munitions that the U.S. would provide have dud rates of no more than 2.5 percent.

According to the Pentagon statement, “Ukrainian officials have provided the U.S. with written assurances that they will employ the capability responsibly, and that they will not use the rounds in civilian-populated urban environments. Ukraine has also committed to mine clearing efforts once the conflict ends to further minimize the potential impact of the rounds on civilians.”

Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Biden Administration has committed more than $41.3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. Last month, the U.S. announced a military package for Ukraine valued at up to $2.1 billion, including munitions for Patriot air defense systems, HAWK air defense systems and missiles, artillery rounds, Puma Unmanned Aerial Systems, and Laser-guided rocket system munitions.

Western Allies react to U.S. decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine

The decision of the United States to provide Ukraine with cluster bombs has caused concerns among several American allies. The United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Spain said they were opposed to the use of the controversial munitions banned by over 100 countries. These bombs have been prohibited due to the significant risk they pose to civilians, as they scatter numerous smaller bomblets that can cause indiscriminate casualties across a wide radius.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the UK was among the 123 nations that have ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions which bans the use, stockpiling, manufacturing, and transfer of cluster munitions. Sunak made the remarks prior to his scheduled meeting with President Biden, who is set to visit the UK before attending a NATO summit in Lithuania (July 11-12).

President Joe Biden acknowledged the difficulty of the decision. “It was a very difficult decision on my part. And by the way, I discussed this with our allies, I discussed this with our friends up on the Hill,” Biden said in an interview with CNN, adding, “The Ukrainians are running out of ammunition.”

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said that decision to send cluster bombs came after months of debate within the Biden administration. “It’s a difficult decision. It’s a decision we deferred. It’s a decision that required a real hard look at the potential harm to civilians … There was a unanimous recommendation from the national security team, and President Biden ultimately decided, in consultation with allies and partners and in consultation with members of Congress,” Sullivan told reporters.