The arms will be provided through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which allows the US to purchase weapons for Ukraine
The Biden administration is expected to announce a new $1.3 billion weapons package for Ukraine in the coming days, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing two unnamed US officials.
The funds will be provided through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allows the US to purchase weapons for Ukraine as opposed to shipping them directly from US military stockpiles, which is the main way the US has been arming Kyiv.
The sources told Reuters that the new package will include an anti-drone air defense system, known as the VAMPIRE, Phoenix Ghost drones and Switchblade drones, which are both small loitering munitions, and another counter-drone system made by Australia’s DroneShield.
Because the weapons systems are being purchased, it could take months or years for them to be delivered. The report comes as US officials are warning the Pentagon is draining its stockpiles to dangerously low levels.
According to the State Department, the US has provided Ukraine with $10.8 billion in USAI funds so far in the 2023 fiscal year. In the 2022 fiscal year, which ended on September 30 for the federal government, the US announced $6.3 billion in USAI aid for Ukraine.
Funds for Ukraine are still being pulled from the $113 billion that Congress has authorized to spend on the war. The administration is expected to ask Congress to approve more soon.