US to send Ukraine $976m worth of arms for fight against Russia

WASHINGTON - The US will send Ukraine US$725 million (S$976 million) of missiles, ammunition, anti-personnel mines and other weapons, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Dec 2, as President Joe Biden's outgoing administration seeks to bolster Kyiv in its war with Russian invaders before leaving office in January.

- REUTERS

The assistance will include Stinger missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, drones and land mines, among other items, he said in a statement.

Reuters reported last week that the Biden administration planned to provide the equipment, much of it anti-tank weapons, to ward off Russia's attacking forces.

Moscow's troops have been capturing village after village in Ukraine's east, part of a drive to seize the industrial Donbas region, while Russian air strikes target a hobbled Ukrainian energy grid as winter sets in.

"The United States and more than 50 nations stand united to ensure Ukraine has the capabilities it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression," Mr Blinken's statement said.