US announces $425Million in new Ukraine Security Aid

The United States announced on Friday that it will provide an additional $425 million in military aid to Ukraine, a day after Washington reported that thousands of North Korean troops were poised to join the fight against Kyiv’s forces.

The assistance “will give Ukraine additional capabilities to address its most urgent needs, including air defence interceptors; munitions for rocket systems and artillery; armoured vehicles; and anti-tank weapons,” the US Department of Defense said in a statement.

The package, which will be drawn from US stockpiles, also includes air-to-ground munitions, medical equipment, demolition munitions, and spare parts, according to the statement.

“The United States will continue to work… to address Ukraine’s critical battlefield requirements and defend against Russian aggression,” it added.

The previous day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that out of the 10,000 North Korean troops believed by the United States to have been sent to Russia, up to 8,000 have been stationed in the Kursk region, bordering Ukraine.

“We have not yet seen these troops engage in combat against Ukrainian forces, but we expect this could happen in the coming days,” Blinken said at a press conference.

Ukrainian forces have been conducting a ground offensive in Kursk since August and now control several hundred square miles of Russian territory.

Russia and North Korea have strengthened their political and military ties as the Ukraine war has continued, but deploying Pyongyang’s troops in combat against Kyiv’s forces would mark a significant escalation, prompting international concern.

The United States has been a key military supporter of Ukraine, committing over $60 billion in weapons, ammunition, and other security assistance since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.