The Pentagon confirmed yesterday that a shipment of military equipment that arrived in Kiev in October, including 30 Javelin anti-tank missile launchers, along with 180 missiles. “The Javelins were delivered to Ukraine on Oct. 23. The United States has committed more than $450 million in security assistance to Ukraine in 2021, and this is part of our ongoing commitment to supporting Ukraine’s ability to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Pentagon spokesman Marine Corps Lt. Col. Anton T. Semelroth said in the e-mail, reported RFE/RL.
This followed a statement yesterday by Oleksiy Arestovych, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, that the launchers and missiles had arrived on Dec. 10. He said that the Ukrainian army will deploy Javelin missile systems in dangerous areas, which will be decided by the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and will be kept strictly secret. Arestovych also said that the next batch of American military aid to Ukraine is expected to be delivered by the new year — it will be weapons for air defense, missile defense and radio intelligence.
However, this seems to be belied by an NBC report on Dec. 10 that said that the Biden Administration was considering delaying the next delivery of military equipment to Ukraine in order to give time for more diplomacy with Russia. According to the NBC report, the administration had prepared a $200 million package of military assistance in recent weeks but had held off on delivering it despite appeals from Kiev and some American lawmakers, according to three people familiar with the issue.
