The White House declared on Friday that the United States is providing Ukraine with an additional $125 million in weaponry to support its military efforts against Russia. This aid package includes crucial air defense systems, radars for detecting and countering enemy artillery, and anti-tank weapons. The decision comes as Ukraine conducts its most extensive ground offensive on Russian territory since the conflict began in February 2022, specifically in the Kursk region. Russia responded by declaring a state of emergency and dispatching reinforcements to the area.
National security spokesman John Kirby stated that Ukraine’s utilization of weapons supplied by the U.S. in the offensive aligns with the policies of the administration. The Biden administration has granted approval for their deployment in retaliatory actions against Russia across the border but not for strikes deeper into Russian territory, although the exact distances remain unspecified. The weaponry in this latest aid package will be sourced from existing U.S. stocks and will encompass Stinger missiles, 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) ammunition, and vehicles. This brings the total U.S. assistance to Ukraine since 2022 to $55.6 billion.
The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine disclosed that July marked the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since October 2022. Conflict-related violence resulted in the deaths of at least 219 civilians and injuries to 1,018 individuals in July, according to the mission. Additionally, a Russian missile strike targeted a shopping mall in Kostiantynivka, located in the eastern Donetsk region, on Friday, leading to the deaths of a minimum of 14 people and injuring 44 others.
