This week, the administration of US President Joe Biden will announce another package of military aid to Ukraine. It will include additional HIMARS missile systems.
This was announced by the coordinator of strategic communications of the US National Security Council in the White House, John Kirby.
"We will continue to provide Ukraine with a historic level of security assistance. Later this week, the administration will announce the next package of weapons and equipment for Ukraine. It will include more HIMARS, which the Ukrainians use very effectively to make a difference on the battlefield," he noted.
Also, according to him, this package will include additional artillery ammunition and rockets for MRL.
At the same time, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov says that Ukraine needs at least 50 HIMARS and M270 systems to effectively deter the enemy and at least 100 for an effective counteroffensive.
About HIMARS
Each HIMARS installation fires six high-precision missiles with a range of up to 80 kilometers (twice that of the M777 howitzer), allowing it to strike Russian command posts, ammunition and fuel depots, as well as troop concentrations in the rear. These missile launchers are also smaller and more maneuverable, which helps them hide from reconnaissance. Crews work inside an armored cabin. And they are fast: in two or three minutes after parking, they can launch missiles and move again 20 seconds after the shot.
Each missile costs $155,000, so the Ukrainian military focuses its firepower on important targets, such as military headquarters, weapons depots and barracks, rather than on individual Russian tanks or artillery systems. In this way, they expect to force the Kremlin to withdraw assets from the front line, further complicating the occupiersʼ already tense logistics.
In June, Ukraine received four HIMARS installations from the US, four more are expected by mid-July. On Thursday, June 30, US President Joe Biden announced that as part of a new $800 million aid package, Ukraine will receive additional HIMARS from other countries and more ammunition from the US.