US stops sending air defense missiles to Ukraine.
The US Department of Defense has halted the delivery of some precision-guided munitions and air defense missiles to Ukraine, Politico reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
The decision was made following a review of the Pentagon’s ammunition stockpiles led by Alburgh Colby, the department’s director of policy. The review found that “the US stockpiles of artillery shells, air defense missiles and precision-guided munitions have been alarmingly depleted.”
The sharp reduction in US defensive weapons comes at a time when the country was at its best in helping the Israeli regime intercept Iranian missiles and drones during the 12-day war.
The initial decision to halt some of the aid promised during the Biden administration was made in early June, according to Politico sources, but the decision has now been implemented as Ukraine faces its most intense wave of Russian airstrikes since the start of the war.
In the latest airstrike, described as the largest since the start of the three-year war, Russia fired 477 drones and decoys and 60 missiles into Ukraine. The Ukrainian military claims 249 of these weapons were shot down, and another 226 were likely disabled by electronic warfare.
According to Politico, the halt in these shipments has raised concerns among some US Congressmen, who say this situation could leave Ukraine vulnerable to Russian air strikes.
The weapons are mainly defensive missiles and precision weapons that the United States has been providing to Ukraine over the past two years through two main channels; some of these weapons were taken from existing US stockpiles, which the Department of Defense was required to replace with funding; and some were provided through the “Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative,” under which the US government contracts with arms companies to produce weapons for Kiev.
According to the report, the security initiative’s funding was fully allocated at the end of the Biden administration, and shipments of equipment continue depending on the readiness of the systems. Withdrawals from existing stockpiles have also continued under the Trump administration. The new administration is using the remaining $61 billion in approved funding to rebuild US military stockpiles and provide assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and other allies.
However, the Trump administration has not yet requested any new funding for further assistance to Ukraine. A government official told Politico that the resources left over from the previous government will be enough for Ukraine for the next few months.