The United States remains steadfast in its support of Ukraine as the country continues to resist Russian aggression, according to senior Defense Department officials. President Joe Biden recently met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reaffirm U.S. support and commitment to providing security assistance to help Ukraine prevail. Biden exercised his authority to ensure that $5.55 billion in remaining presidential drawdown authority did not expire, allowing the U.S. to continue supporting Ukraine with this funding.
In addition to the drawdown authority, Biden announced a $2.4 billion Ukraine security assistance initiative package that will provide air defense, unmanned aerial systems, and air-to-ground munitions to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities. This initiative will also support Ukraine’s defense industrial base and maintenance requirements. The U.S. is also working to enhance Ukraine’s drone capabilities by providing thousands of unmanned aerial vehicles and components to enable domestic production of drones.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian military has inflicted significant casualties on Russian forces, with over 600,000 casualties reported. Ukrainian forces have also destroyed a significant number of Russian navy vessels in the Black Sea, prompting Russia to relocate its Black Sea Fleet away from Crimea. Despite Russia’s attempts to equip front-line forces with Soviet-era tanks, Ukrainian forces have destroyed more than two-thirds of Russia’s pre-war tank inventory.
There have been no major changes in strategy on either side of the conflict, with Russia employing an attritional strategy in eastern Ukraine while Ukrainian forces mount a strong defense. The most active areas on the battlefield are in the Russian province of Kursk and the Ukrainian area of Donetsk, with minor changes to the forward line of troops in both areas. The Ukrainians have successfully conducted long-range drone strikes against Russian targets, impacting the battlefield. Despite the challenges ahead, the U.S. and its allies remain committed to supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression.
