Austin announces new USD 2.3 B defense package at meeting with Umerov

The US administration will soon announce a new military aid package for Ukraine worth more than USD 2.3 billion, which will include anti-tank weapons, ammunition for the Patriot and other air defense systems.

This was stated by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during a meeting on Tuesday with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in Washington, Ukrinform reports citing AP.

"They mark a strong response to pleas from Kyiv for help in battling Russian forces in the Donetsk region," the outlet notes.

It also draws attention to the fact that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that over the past week alone, Russia had fired more than 800 powerful guided bombs at Ukraine. He called on leaders of other countries to ease restrictions on the use of Western weapons to strike military targets inside Russia. In particular, he noted that Ukraine needs "the means to destroy the carriers of these bombs, including Russian combat aircraft, wherever they are," AP reports.

As reported, last week, the US media reported on the US administration's intention to provide Ukraine with a defense assistance package totaling USD 150 million.