The Pentagon announced Friday an additional $275 million in defense aid for Ukraine, a sum smaller than that offered in many previous packages. The items offered are to include ammunition, vehicles and satellite communications equipment — no counter-equipment or air defense systems.
Russia’s controversial mobilization to send reinforcements to fight in Ukraine is complete, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin in a televised meeting Friday, with 300,000 summoned for duty — the precise number Putin had requested. Russians are paying careful attention to the details because little about the “partial mobilization” had gone as planned, The Washington Post reported.
Moscow has moved toward “a long-term, defensive posture” on the front lines in Ukraine over the past six weeks, the British Defense Ministry said Friday in its daily intelligence update, adding that this was likely a sign that Russian forces in Ukraine were “currently only capable of defensive operations.”
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
4. From our correspondents
The NDAA conference report will ultimately become the sweeping defense policy legislation negotiated by the House and the Senate and brought to the floor of both chambers for final passage during the post-election session.
Democrats say stripping the provision from the nearly $840 billion package undercuts the Biden administration’s ability to transfer assistance to Ukraine’s beleaguered economy as it pours resources into the eight-month conflict. Republicans say the provision has not been fully vetted by the relevant committees.
Evan Halper, Alex Horton, Mary Ilyushina and Loveday Morris contributed to this report.
