US Announces New $600 Million Security Assistance Package for Ukraine

(Patria) - The United States has announced a new security assistance package for Ukraine worth $600 million, which includes demolition munitions, mine-clearing equipment, and artillery ammunition, AFP reported.

The aid will not immediately reach the battlefield, as it falls under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), under which Washington procures equipment from the defense industry or partners rather than drawing from U.S. stocks.

The package will "support Ukraine's battlefield needs" and demonstrate "the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine," the Pentagon said in a statement.

The latest announcement comes after Washington pledged more than $1 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Kyiv, including 120mm depleted uranium ammunition for M1 Abrams tanks, which are expected to be delivered before the end of the year.

Depleted uranium ammunition is controversial due to its association with health problems such as cancer and birth defects in areas where it has been used in past conflicts, although it has not been definitively proven to have caused such problems.

The density of depleted uranium, a byproduct of the nuclear enrichment process, helps rounds containing it penetrate heavy armor, making it ideal for targeting tanks.

Russia has sharply criticized Washington's decision to provide depleted uranium ammunition, but Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh defended the move. "We believe this will be the most effective munition for suppressing Russian tanks and will help...the Ukrainians defend" their territory, Singh told reporters.