The Pentagon on Thursday provided Congress with details of $300 million in security assistance it will be providing to Ukraine, according to a statement emailed to reporters on Friday.

The military equipment and weapons will be provided through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is a programme that allows goods to be purchased through commercial vendors rather than be provided from existing US military stocks, it said.

“This decision underscores the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in support of its heroic efforts to repel Russia’s war of choice,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.

The list of weapons includes laser-guided rockets, tactical drones that can both surveil targets and crash into them with an explosive charge, and “non-standard” weapons and ammunition — a term typically used by the defence department to refer to Soviet-designed weapons.

The package will also include Puma drones, night vision devices and thermal optics, counter-drone devices, encrypted radios, medical supplies, and satellite services.

New York Times News Service