As Ukrainian forces mow through cities once held by Russia, Kyiv is reworking its weapons wish list from Western countries while troops prepare to dig in for bitter winter fighting.
At the top of their list is new air defenses, due to fears that Vladimir Putin will step up missile attacks on civilian targets as his front lines collapse.
No new air defense capabilities were included in the Biden administration’s $625 million military aid package announced Tuesday, which instead focused on precision artillery and rocket systems and ammunition. Those weapons and munitions will be critical over the next several weeks as Ukrainian forces continue their counter-offensives.
The Biden administration has been arming Ukraine in a deliberate manner, sending artillery and munitions for the immediate fight, and contracting with the defense industry for weapons such as NASAMS. It’s a two-pronged strategy that officials have said meets Kyiv’s immediate needs while setting up a consistent flow of weaponry in the coming years. The U.S. iswith Ukraine and the defense industry about whether to eventually acquire capabilities such as Patriot batteries and F-16 fighter planes.
The official, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said that “Russia has targeted civilian infrastructure throughout this campaign, so it’s not a leap to think they would continue.” “We can help the Ukrainians with Javelins and Stingers because they've been sitting in the barn for decades, but we don't just have things sitting in the barn” for cruise and ballistic missile defense, Karako said.
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