NATO countries have come to the rescue of the Ukrainian military with an array of ammunition, guns, rocket launchers and Javelin antitank missiles to help the invaded country battle an adversary that outguns it.
Including the Javelins, the American arsenal landed in an aircraft and was later inspected by a top US military advisor to President Joe Biden, according to a report by The New York Times.
Part of a $350 million package authorized by Biden on Saturday, the weaponry was unloaded in Ukraine’s airbase. According to a Pentagon official, the United States has provided nearly 70% of the package to Ukraine’s armed forces and expects to deliver the rest of it in a week.
The shipment of weaponry also includes Stinger antiaircraft missiles from the US army’s warehouse in Germany. According to the Pentagon official, the shipment is the biggest authorized arms transfer from US’ military warehouses to another country.
Officials added that other war equipment is being flown to bordering countries like Romania and Poland and will then be shipped and distributed in Ukraine.
Praising Ukraine’s troops for putting supplied munitions to good use, the senior Pentagon official told The New York Times, “All of us have been tremendously impressed by how effectively the Ukrainian armed forces have been using the equipment that we’ve provided them.”
Also Read: More than 66,000 Ukrainians living abroad return to fight Russia
“Kremlin watchers have also been surprised by this, and how they have slowed the Russian advance and performed extremely well on the battlefield,” the official added.
Lauding NATO’s unity, Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, the commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, told reporters “NATO is more unified than I’ve ever seen NATO unified before.”
Also Read: Ukraine President Zelenskyy debunks Russian propaganda of him fleeing Kyiv
“I’ve been working since I was a second lieutenant, in 1988, and I can tell you I’ve never seen the resolve, and the practical expression of combat readiness, as I’ve seen in the alliance ground forces right now. It’s remarkable,” he added.