On Monday, December 30, 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the twenty-second military aid package to war-torn Ukraine this year (the 80th overall) and the twenty-first under the new legislation, valued at 2.47 billion USD. The previous package was announced on December 12. The funds come from the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).
Photo: Airman 1st Class Robert Nichols, USAF
The funds were included in the federal bill H.R.8035 – Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024, which renewed military aid to Ukraine.
A detailed list of aid funded through PDA (1.25 billion USD) and USAI (1.22 billion USD):
- Munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), the system uses AIM-9X and AIM-120 AMRAAM;
- Munitions for MIM-23 HAWK air defense systems (received by Ukraine from Spain and Swede);
- Stinger missiles;
- Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (c-UAS) munitions;
- Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
- 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition;
- Air-to-ground munitions;
- High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs);
- Unmanned Aerials Systems (UAS);
- Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
- Tube-launched, Optically guided, Wire-tracked (TOW) missiles;
- Small arms and ammunition and grenades;
- Demolitions equipment and munitions;
- Secure communications equipment;
- Commercial satellite imagery services;
- Medical equipment;
- Clothing and individual equipment;
- and spare parts, maintenance and sustainment support, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.
In total, the United States has allocated over 66 billion USD in military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of Joe Biden’s presidency, including approximately 65.4 billion USD since February 24, 2022 (a full list of military aid HERE – as of December 30).
Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The U.S. Department of Defense announced that Secretary Lloyd Austin plans to convene the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG, also known as the Ramstein Group) in early 2025. Together with Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, the meeting will see the Capability Coalitions present their action plans for effective and sustainable support for Ukraine.
“The UDCG continues to be a convening forum to work with allies and partners in finding and providing Ukraine with what it needs, and [who are] working together as multiple countries literally come around the table,” — said Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a media briefing.
Additionally, during the briefing, Singh noted that the Department of Defense agrees with the recent White House assessment regarding the number of casualties on the North Korean side as a result of fighting with the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region.
“The White House recently announced that approximately 1,000 [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] soldiers have either been killed or wounded in the Kursk region. That’s our assessment as well,” Singh said.
She added that the attacks carried out by North Korean soldiers in the region have not proven particularly effective, and the North Koreans are suffering significant casualties.
Today, we announced additional security assistance support to meet Ukraine’s critical security and defense needs as part of the surge of security assistance the President directed to put Ukraine in the best possible position.https://t.co/P5cxIBi122
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) December 30, 2024