U.S. is sending advanced rocket systems to Ukraine, Biden says & More Trending News

“America’s goal is straightforward: We want to see a democratic, independent, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine with the means to deter and defend itself against further aggression,” Biden mentioned in an essay printed Tuesday night within the New York Times. “We do not seek a war between NATO and Russia,” his essay added.

An announcement on advanced rocket systems had been anticipated this week, as officers weighed how to assist Kyiv defend itself with out additional inflaming tensions with Russia.

U.S. is making ready to ship advanced rocket systems to Ukraine

The United States is sending the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, which can prolong Ukraine’s attain within the ongoing artillery struggle with Russia, a senior administration official mentioned Tuesday. The United States is not going to present the longest-range munitions for the system to Ukraine, mentioned the official, who spoke on the situation of anonymity to focus on delicate navy issues. The advanced weapons are a part of a brand new $700 million bundle of navy gear.

HIMARS is a kind of Multiple Launch Rocket System. Typical rockets fired by these systems have a spread of about 43 miles, in accordance to U.S. Army information. Ukrainians at the moment use a Russian-made model of this method, the official mentioned.

The Kremlin has warned that any nation offering advanced weaponry to Ukraine will face harsh repercussions. On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov mentioned the West has “declared total war” towards Russia.

Shortly after the essay printed, Russia’s Defense Ministry mentioned its strategic missile forces had been conducting workout routines in Ivanovo, northeast of Moscow. According to state media studies, the strategic missile division is Moscow’s principal pressure liable for “nuclear deterrence of possible aggression.” The workout routines reportedly concerned the Yars, a Russian intercontinental ballistic missile.

In his essay, Biden supplied assurances to Russian President Vladmir Putin that the United States doesn’t intend to provoke a wider battle or the usage of weapons of mass destruction.

“We are not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders. We do not want to prolong the war just to inflict pain on Russia,” Biden wrote. He added that “we currently see no indication that Russia has intent to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, though Russia’s occasional rhetoric to rattle the nuclear saber is itself dangerous and extremely irresponsible.”

Ukraine’s forces are already utilizing U.S.-delivered M777 howitzers, which have a spread of about 18 miles. Other refined weapons the United States has despatched embrace 1000’s of Stinger and Javelin shoulder-fired missiles.

The addition of the HIMARS system to Ukraine’s arsenal comes as Kyiv loses floor to Moscow in an artillery-dominated battle in Donbas, regardless of the flood of U.S. and Western arms.

Russian forces now management most of Severodonetsk, one of many final main Ukrainian-held areas of the jap Luhansk area, native officers mentioned Tuesday night. Russia has pummeled the town for weeks, and capturing it could give the Kremlin a big symbolic victory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned in his nightly handle Tuesday that Moscow’s fight energy is at “maximum” power within the space.