Biden Unveils Latest $400M Package For Ukraine, But US Artillery Shells Already Depleted 

The Biden administration on Friday announced its third tranche of new aid for Ukraine since President Biden signed into effect Congress’ $95 billion foreign aid package, which includes $60 billion total funding for Ukraine.

This newest authorized package is for $400 million and is to include High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Patriot missiles, and various munitions including anti-aircraft and anti-tank ammo, and armored vehicles like Bradleys.

“It will also provide a number of coastal and riverine patrol boats, trailers, demolition munitions, high-speed anti-radiation missiles, protective gear, spare parts and other weapons and equipment,” according to further details in the Associated Press. “The weapons are being sent through presidential drawdown authority, which pulls systems and munitions from existing U.S. stockpiles so they can go quickly to the war front.”

Anadolu via Getty Images

It’s as yet unclear if this particular package will include the longer range Army Tactical Missile System, which can hit targets up to 190 miles away. Moscow has been warning the West that parties supplying Ukraine with weapons used against Russian territory will be seen as direct participants in the war.

Ironically this new $400 million package has been announced the very same day that Russia has launched a rare, major cross-border offensive into the Kharkiv region, seeking to establish a ‘buffer zone’ some 10km deep inside Ukraine territory, ostensibly to prevent cross-border shelling from harming Russian citizens and to more easily intercept threats like drones.

Currently, Ukrainian soldiers are resorting to literally trying to find leftover, unexploded artillery shells scattered in the ground at prior battle sites. The Wall Street Journal has underscored this severe lack of ammo along Ukraine’s front lines in writing that “Kyiv’s ammunition shortage is so acute that a soldier who hunts for Russian shells—and makes his own bombs—has become an important supplier for some units.” 

On Thursday, David Sacks pointed to the significant depletion in artillery shell production in the US as a sign that Kiev’s external backers are growing weaker, not stronger amid the continued escalation…

I warned that America didn’t produce enough artillery shells to supply both Ukraine and Israel; now Biden has cut off Israel. Some of those most outraged were strong advocates for giving Ukraine everything it wanted. They have no one to blame but themselves for depleting… https://t.co/uZvDSun7nb

— David Sacks (@DavidSacks) May 9, 2024

“As the shortage of artillery shells has grown more acute in recent weeks, brigades have started sending their de-miners to Polyukhovich, hoping he’ll teach them how to find more ammunition,” the report said.

“It is dangerous work. Several months ago, while Polyukhovich was out, his team tried to deactivate an antipersonnel mine, which is more sensitive than the antitank mines they normally work with,” WSJ detailed. “It went off, killing one of them and pockmarking the side of Polyukhovich’s house.”

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Meanwhile, a shocking stat and reminder that the proxy war in Ukraine has in the end weakened America’s ability to defend itself…

Even if the Ukraine War ended tomorrow, it would take over 5 years to replenish our stockpiles of artillery shells, Javelins and Stingers. But Biden sees no tradeoffs between helping Ukraine and Israel. And he wants to rattle the saber against China while he’s at it. pic.twitter.com/4xv0aNQWLi

— David Sacks (@DavidSacks) October 25, 2023