First HIMARS launchers already in Ukraine - Defense Minister

The first units of HIMARS multiple rocket launchers have already arrived in Ukraine as part of the U.S. security assistance.

That’s according to Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, Ukrinform reported citing the minister’s Twitter page.

“HIMARS have arrived to Ukraine. Thank you to my U.S.colleague and friend @SecDef  Lloyd J. Austin III for these powerful tools!” the defense chief tweeted.

The minister also suggested that summer “will be hot for russian occupiers.”

“And the last one for some of them,” Reznikov added.

Read also: Harpoon systems and HIMARS ammo: Pentagon chief outlines new security assistance package for Ukraine

Earlier, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense for Political Affairs Colin Kahl said that providing Ukraine with several HIMARS multiple rocket launchers as part of the latest tranche of defense aid is only a starting point as the U.S. will continue to provide everything necessary to prevail against Russian aggression.

The U.S. administration has earlier announced that it will provide Ukraine with American high-mobility artillery missile systems HIMARS with ammunition that can hit targets at a 70 km range instead of 300 km, although Ukraine has requested longer-range missiles.