Report: Pentagon preparing to send more sophisticated weapons to Ukraine

The Pentagon is looking to transfer more sophisticated equipment to Ukraine, with a package possibly including armored Humvees, coastal defense drones, and howitzer cannons, U.S. officials told The Washington Post.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested more advanced weapons for his country's fight against Russia, and this new aid package could be worth $750 million, the U.S. officials said. They cautioned that the exact amount and items are still under consideration, and because some of the weapons will be new to Ukrainian troops, they'll likely need to be trained on how to use them.

Since President Biden came into office, the U.S. has provided more than $2.4 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, with $1.7 billion coming after Russia invaded the country on Feb. 24, the Post says. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Ukraine's defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, spoke with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday, and they discussed weapons. Reznikov previously tweeted that Ukraine would like more artillery, armored vehicles, combat aircraft, anti-ship missiles, air-defense systems, and unmanned aircraft.

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A senior U.S. defense official told the Post that the U.S. sends eight to 10 flights of military assistance to neighboring countries each day, with the items then driven into Ukraine. Once there, Ukrainian officials decide how the gear is distributed, the official said. Read more at The Washington Post.