Wed Sep 25 09:42:48 UTC 2024: ## US Announces $375 Million Military Aid Package for Ukraine, Including Cluster Bombs

**New York, NY** – The United States will send Ukraine a new package of military aid valued at approximately $375 million, which includes an undisclosed number of controversial cluster munitions. The announcement is expected to come on Wednesday, coinciding with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to the UN General Assembly, where he is expected to reiterate his calls for more support and long-range weaponry.

The aid package will include air-to-ground bombs with cluster munitions, as well as ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Javelin anti-armor systems, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, and other military equipment. This package, drawn from Pentagon stocks, is one of the largest recently approved and aims to expedite the delivery of weapons to Ukraine.

The timing of the announcement is crucial as a $6 billion funding allocation for Ukrainian aid could expire at the end of September. While congressional leaders have reached an agreement on a short-term spending bill, it remains unclear whether the authority to provide weapons from the Pentagon’s stockpile will be extended.

Meanwhile, fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, with both Ukrainian and Russian forces engaged in intense battles in the Kharkiv border region and Russia’s Kursk region. Zelenskyy’s recent visit to a Pennsylvania ammunition factory, where he thanked workers for producing 155 mm shells, underscores the critical need for continued military aid to Ukraine.

This latest package brings the total US security assistance to Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion to over $56.2 billion. The inclusion of cluster munitions, however, has sparked controversy due to their potential for civilian casualties.

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