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Live updates: Russia invades Ukraine, country braces for major Donbas offensive
The US and Ukraine are in intensive discussions a few new spherical of safety help tailor-made to fight a stepped-up Russian marketing campaign in jap and southern Ukraine, the place the terrain is completely different than the struggle’s earlier principal entrance, based on a number of US protection officers.
The package deal being put collectively might focus on extra drones and Javelin anti-tank weapons — which the US has beforehand supplied to Ukraine. That is partly as a result of Ukraine already has these sorts of weapons in its stock and might use them shortly, one official stated.
The US can be speaking to companions and allies in Europe to see what further lengthy vary air protection methods, tanks, armor, and artillery they may have the ability to present Ukraine from their very own inventories.
These discussions are notably pressing as a result of the terrain within the south and jap parts of Ukraine is completely different than the preliminary part, which came about to some extent in wooded areas north of Kyiv the place Ukraine’s forces succeeded with ambush ways.
Now, alongside the brand new jap and southern fronts, the Ukrainians want is for heavier weapons, similar to armor and artillery, the officers stated.
“It’s way more open and lends itself to armor mechanized offensive operations on either side,” Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers, advised a Senate panel final week.
US methods will not be within the Ukrainian stock, so discovering companions and allies keen to contribute is a key precedence. A part of the negotiations embody dialogue of the US changing the companions’ provisions with probably extra superior methods.
Ukraine nonetheless desires to get fighter jets, the officers stated, however the US stays against facilitating any such switch.
The Protection Division has stated that Russia’s refocus to the Donbas area has not affected the power to get safety help from the US to Ukraine.
“Eight to 10 flights a day are coming into the area, not simply from america however from different nations as properly,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby stated at a briefing Monday.
“In some circumstances, stuff coming from america takes not more than 4 to 6 days from the time the president authorizes drawdown authority to it will get into the fingers of the Ukrainians,” he stated.
CNN’s Michael Conte contributed reporting to this publish.