In response to requests by Ukrainian forces, other military assistance is also likely to be announced this week, including additional artillery ammunition and counter-battery radars. Ukrainian officials have asked for the missile defense system, known as a NASAMS system, given the weapons can hit targets more than 100 miles away, though the Ukrainian forces will likely need to be trained on the systems, a source said.
US officials believe that Russian forces plan to maintain intense attacks in the east, characterized by heavy artillery and missile strikes, with the intention of wearing down Ukrainian forces and NATO resolve over time.
For Ukraine’s part, its military has been burning through Soviet-era ammunition that fits older systems, and Western governments have been facing a tough decision on whether they want to continue increasing their assistance to the country, something Biden has already pledged to do.
“We will continue to lead the world in providing historic assistance to support Ukraine’s fight for freedom,” the President wrote in a New York Times op-ed last month.
