BBC / UK
The new US aid for Ukraine includes a wide range of military equipment, ranging from 25,000 sets each of body armour and helmets to rifles and grenade launchers, thousands of other anti-tank weapons and more than 20m rounds of ammunition.
Besides Javelin missiles, the most powerful weapons include 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, once famously used to shoot down Soviet planes in Afghanistan.
The US also plans to ship 100 “tactical unmanned aerial systems” – small drones – which are often hand-launched and small enough to fit into rucksacks.
Soldiers can use them to scope out the battlefield or, in some cases, to attack, essentially creating flying bombs that can be flown into targets from a distance.
What the US is sending Ukraine
$800 million
in new military assistance, including…
800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems that can shoot down planes
2,000Javelins, shoulder-held anti-tank weapons that shoot heat-seeking rockets
6,000AT-4 anti-armor systems, a Swedish-produced, single-use, unguided anti-tank weapon
Mr Biden’s announcement on Wednesday brings the total amount of US military aid pledged for Ukraine to $1bn in the past week alone – a huge acceleration when compared to the $2.7bn provided between 2014 and the start of 2022.
It is a “significant development” and addresses previous shortfalls, according to John Herbst, a former US ambassador in Kyiv.
“There’s no question that [Biden] and his team have been too timid in providing support for Ukraine,” Mr Herbst said. “And they have responded to that pressure.”
What will this mean against Russian ground and air offensives?
Military experts say that the US-supplied anti-tank weapons are likely to have the most impact in Ukraine.
The invading Russian forces “are primarily mechanised forces” – meaning armoured convoys – so “the best thing you can do is take them [vehicles] out”, said former US Army Colonel Christopher Mayer.
Ukraine has received a variety of anti-tank systems from several countries, which helps increase the “lethality” of Ukraine’s forces against Russian vehicles, Mr Mayer said.
“If you give them a variety of anti-tank systems, it provides them with multiple opportunities to punch through whatever particular defensive armour protection systems that tank has,” he said.
And while their claims can’t be independently verified, Ukrainian officials say they are putting the weapons to good effect. As of 16 March, they claim to have destroyed more than 400 tanks and over 2,000 other Russian vehicles.
Anti-tank weapons, however, do nothing to help Ukraine combat Russia’s air force, which for three weeks has been striking targets across the country.
The man-portable, shoulder-fired Stinger system is the only anti-aircraft weapon included in the US aid package.
The system has been seen in conflicts around the world since 1981. It was most famously used in Afghanistan, where US-supplied Stingers helped bring down hundreds of Russian aircraft and helicopters during the Soviet occupation.
It is effective against low-flying helicopters or aircraft at up to about 3,800m (12,400ft), making it relatively useless against higher-flying Russian bombers.
Mr Herbst said that the administration’s mention of Stingers as part of the aid package to Ukraine is a “sign of weakness”.
“They do need more Stingers, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “But they need higher altitude anti-aircraft weapons as well…that’s a serious omission.”
What has the US not sent?
While the White House has hinted that higher-altitude weapons – such as the Soviet-era S-300 anti-aircraft missile – might be headed to Ukraine via third countries, no formal announcement has been made.
Officials in Slovakia have expressed a willingness to send the systems to Ukraine, provided they receive replacements. Two other Nato allies – Greece and Bulgaria – also reportedly have the systems.
The US has also dismissed proposals to have Poland transfer its Mig-29 fighter jets to Ukraine to allow them to do more to contest the skies.
US officials have described the plan as not “tenable” due to the increased risk of open conflict between Nato and Russia.
Mr Mayer, however, said that the transfer of Mig-29 or similar jets by US allies – with the administration’s blessing – would be an effective way of helping Ukraine fight for control of its skies.
He noted that the Soviet Union provided both aircraft and pilots to North Vietnam to operate against US aircraft without starting a wider confrontation.