The package will include a wide array of munitions for air defence, including for the highly-sought Patriot missiles.
ADVERTISEMENTThe US is expected to announce on Friday that it will provide about €5.5 billion long-term military aid to Ukraine, US officials said.
The package will include much sought-after munitions for Patriot air defence systems, according to the sources.
The officials said the aid package will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer term contracts with the defence industry. This means it could take months or even years for the weapons to arrive.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.
The new funding will include a wide array of munitions for air defence, such as the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAM) and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), as well as the Patriot munitions, Switchblade and Puma drones, counter drone systems and artillery.
The announcement is expected to come as Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin convenes a virtual meeting on Friday of defence officials from Europe and around the world to discuss international aid for Ukraine. The gathering - created by Austin and known as the Ukraine Defence Contact Group - has been meeting monthly for the past two years, and is the primary forum for weapons contributions to Kyiv for the war.
The announcement will follow the White House's decision earlier this week to approve the delivery of €931 million in weapons and equipment to Ukraine.
The substantial back-to-back packages stem from the new funding for Ukraine approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, the US has sent more than €41 billion worth of weapons, maintenance, training and spare parts to Ukraine.