WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

US military aid for Ukraine for first time includes Black Hornet spy drone

The U.S. Department of Defense announced $400 million in additional security assistance for Ukraine on Tuesday, including air defense missiles, armored vehicles and small drones, as Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia grinds on.

The new aid package, which was first reported by Reuters, will include for the first time U.S. furnished Black Hornet surveillance drones made by Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies.

The Norwegian-built Hornet is being used in Ukraine through donations by the British and Norwegian governments, the company said. FLIR Unmanned Aerial Systems was awarded a $93 million contract in April to provide the small reconnaissance drones to the U.S. Army.

In addition, the weapons aid package includes munitions for Patriot air defense systems and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASMS), Stinger anti-aircraft systems, more ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Stryker Armored Personnel Carriers and a variety of other missiles and rockets.

The assistance is funded using Presidential Drawdown Authority, or PDA, which authorizes the president to quickly transfer articles and services from U.S. stocks without congressional approval during an emergency. The material will come from U.S. excess inventory.

This is the 43rd security assistance package approved by the United States for Ukraine. More than $43 billion in U.S. military aid has been provided since Russia's invasion in 2022.

Commenting on the aid announcement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted Russia's attacks on Ukraine ports and Ukrainian infrastructure since withdrawing from the Black Sea Grain Initiative last week.

"Russia could end this war at any time by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and stopping its brutal attacks against Ukraine's cities and people. Until it does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine, for as long as it takes," Blinken said in a statement.

The Black Sea grain deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey a year ago to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia's invasion. Ukraine and Russia are both leading grain exporters.

Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine has resulted in the deaths of thousands and the displacement of millions of civilians, denounced the new U.S. package.

"The actions by Washington ... are beyond morality and common sense," Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov said in a post on the embassy's Telegram messaging app.

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Britain said on Tuesday it had information indicating Russia's military might start targeting civilian shipping in the Black Sea, while the European Union pledged to help Ukraine export almost all its farm produce via rail and road.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian forces liberate Sergeyevka community in Krasny Liman area

Russian forces liberated the settlement of Sergeyevka in the Krasny Liman area over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Tuesday.

"In the course of successful counter-attack operations by units of the 15th motor rifle brigade under the skilled command of Lieutenant-Colonel Builov, the settlement of Sergeyevka was liberated," the spokesman said.

In the area of the Serebryansky forest, Russian forces moved 1.5 km into the depth of the Ukrainian army’s defensive lines and their total advance in the Krasny Liman area equaled 4 km. In addition, Russian forces repulsed four Ukrainian attacks in that direction over the past 24 hours, the spokesman said.

"The enemy’s losses amounted to 190 Ukrainian personnel, six armored combat vehicles, five pickup trucks, two D-20 howitzers, one D-30 gun, two Gvozdika motorized artillery systems and a US-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar station," he said.

In the Krasny Liman direction, Russian forces neutralized a Ukrainian subversive and reconnaissance group and also "destroyed ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army’s 44th motorized infantry brigade and 100th territorial defense brigade," the general reported.

Reuters/Tass