US preparing $275 million weapons package for Ukraine: officials

The package comes as Russian forces step up offensive on northeastern city of Kharkiv

Ukrainian servicemen of the 21st Separate Mechanized Brigade fire a Leopard 2A6 tank during a military exercise, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a front line in Donetsk region, Ukraine May 12, 2024. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

The United States is preparing a $275 million military aid package for Ukraine, which will include 155mm artillery shells, precision aerial munitions and ground vehicles, three US officials told Reuters on Thursday.

Moscow's forces have hammered the northeastern city of Kharkiv for months and launched a ground assault into the north of the surrounding region on May 10, an offensive that Kyiv says has stalled on two lines of attack for now.

The weapons aid, which could be announced as soon as Friday, will utilise Presidential Drawdown Authority, which authorises the president to transfer articles and services from US stocks without specific congressional approval during an emergency.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

As a part of the $95 billion aid bills, Congress authorized $60.8 billion worth of various forms of aid to Ukraine, including $8 billion worth of presidential drawdown authority items.

While the package mainly includes munitions, it also includes vehicles that are designed to recover disabled tanks and other heavy equipment from the battlefield, a sign that the US expects attacks and equipment losses to continue.

Military analysts expected a boost in the order backlog of RTX, along with other major companies that receive government contracts, such as Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman, following passage of the supplemental spending bill.