The contract was signed with American defense industry giant Lockheed Martin to manufacture additional High-Mobility Rocket Artillery Systems (HIMARS) for the needs of the U.S. military and international partners, the Pentagon reported.
This marks the first new contract for HIMARS production since April and the first since the system was awarded to Ukraine. The Pentagon did not specify which foreign partners are to receive the new HIMARS systems. The contract is expected to expire on Dec. 31, 2025.
Ukraine has so far received 20 HIMARS from the U.S., with 18 more to be delivered over the next few years as part of a $1 billion U.S. arms package. The Ukrainian military has been using the systems for precise strikes on Russia’s military ammunition depots and supply routes deep into Russian-occupied territories. The GPS-guided rockets of the HIMARS system, able to hit targets at long range with pinpoint accuracy, have been credited with turning the tide of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Politico reported on Nov. 5, citing a Pentagon official, that Russian forces hadn’t managed to destroy any of the U.S.-provided HIMARS, despite repeated Russian claims.
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Saturday, December 20
"This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance," U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X.
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"We agreed with our American partners on further steps and the continuation of our joint work in the near future," delegation leader Rustem Umerov said after the meeting.
Russian ballistic missiles "massively attacked" a port facility in the region, Governor Oleh Kiper said. Seven are dead and 15 injured victims have been hospitalized.
"We're not concerned about an escalation with Russia, with regards to Venezuela ... I think they have their hands full in Ukraine," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Dec. 19.
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The SBU's Alpha Special Operations Center's drones hit a gas turbine unit at the Rakushechnoe deposit at the platform run by Russian oil giant Lukoil, the source said.
The Kyiv Independent on Dec. 9 hosted its first live event in New York City, an evening dedicated to storytelling, investigative journalism, and front-line reporting.
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European leaders have approved an interest-free loan for Ukraine, providing a financial lifeline and securing a large portion of the cash-strapped country's financing needs for the next two years.
More than 2,400 people have joined the Kyiv Independent community during our anniversary campaign, helping us reach our goal of 25,000 members by the end of 2025.
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"There are sometimes difficult moments in our societies, but as presidents, we must define policies that keep us united. Without our independence, Moscow will inevitably push further into Europe and will come for Poland," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Warsaw.
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President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 19 that Ukraine knows where the Oreshnik would be deployed in Belarus and is sharing this information with its Western allies.
In "a new unprecedented special operation" in neutral waters more than 2,000 kilometers from Ukraine, Russia's QENDIL tanker sustained "critical damage" and can no longer be used for its intended purpose, the source claimed.
Ukraine will conduct necessary examinations to identify the bodies, which Russia says belong to Ukrainian soldiers, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.
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