The United States is reportedly finalizing a $2.5 billion military aid package to Ukraine, including Stryker combat vehicles, in “one of its largest” military aid packages to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion in February of last year, CNN reported, citing two undisclosed U.S. officials.
The package is expected to include more armored Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Strykers armored vehicles, and mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles, known as MRAPs, according to the sources.
Sending the two types of armored vehicles, the heaviest weaponry the U.S. has sent Ukraine, is a significant departure from what the U.S. has committed to Ukraine thus far in its fight against Russia.
Ukraine has also asked for American Abrams tanks, but the U.S. is not expected to announce their delivery to Ukraine in its next package, reportedly due to maintenance and training issues with the tanks rather than fears of escalating the war.
The package also won’t include Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) surface-to-surface missiles either, Politico reported on Jan. 18, citing its sources.
ATACMS can travel 300 kilometers before precisely striking a target - farther than any of the U.S. weapons that have been supplied to Ukraine so far, missiles that Ukraine has been asking for months.
