On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the eighteenth military aid package this year (and the 76th overall), and the seventeenth under the new legislation, for war-torn Ukraine. The package is valued at 275 million USD. The previous package was announced on November 1. The funds come from the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) mechanism.
Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The funds were included in the federal bill H.R.8035 – Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024, which renewed military assistance to Ukraine.
Detailed list of aid from PDA funds:
- Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), compatible with M270B1 MLRS, MARS-II/MLRS-E, and LRU;
- 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition;
- 60mm and 81mm mortar rounds;
- Unmanned Aerial Systems;
- Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) missiles BGM-71 (for, among the others, M2A2 Bradley ODS and HMMWV);
- FGM-148 Javelin and M136 AT-4 anti-armor systems;
- Small arms and ammunition;
- Demolitions equipment and munitions;
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear protective equipment;
- Spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.
In total, the United States has allocated over 61.3 billion USD in military assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of Joe Biden’s presidency, including approximately 60.7 billion USD since February 24, 2022 (a complete list of military aid HERE – as of November 20).
On the same day, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed media reports that President Joe Biden’s administration had approved the delivery of anti-personnel landmines. However, these were not yet included in the newly announced aid package.
The day before, the U.S. Department of State authorized a potential sale to Ukraine of an additional logistical support package for military vehicles provided by Washington under aid programs, valued at up to 100 million USD.
As part of the surge in security assistance that @POTUS announced on September 26 to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position, we announced yesterday additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs.https://t.co/4Qbm425OH3
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) November 21, 2024