Iran Press/ America: "Over the past three hundred days, the Kremlin has tried and failed to wipe Ukraine off the map. Now, Russia is trying to weaponize winter by freezing and starving Ukrainian civilians and forcing families from their homes," said a statement from the U.S. Department of State.
"In response, President Biden announced that the United States is providing critical new and additional military capabilities to help Ukraine defend itself from Russia's ongoing brutal and unprovoked assault," it said.
"Pursuant to a delegation of authority from the President, today I am authorising our twenty-eighth drawdown of U.S. arms and equipment for Ukraine since August 2021. This $1 billion drawdown will provide Ukraine with expanded air defense and precision-strike capabilities, as well as additional munitions and critical equipment that Ukraine is using so effectively to defend itself on the battlefield," the statement said.
The Department of Defense is also announced an additional $850 million of security assistance for Ukraine today under its Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. This will bring total U.S. military assistance for Ukraine to an unprecedented $21.9 billion since the beginning of the Administration.
"Today's assistance for the first time includes the Patriot Air Defense System, capable of bringing down cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles, and aircraft at a significantly higher ceiling than previously provided air defense systems," the statement said.
Russia's reaction to U.S. Patriot delivery to Ukraine
Reacting to the development, Russia said that Ukraine acquiring Patriot missiles from the United States would not help settle the conflict or prevent Moscow from achieving its goals.
President Vladimir Putin dismissed the patriot defense system as "quite old," telling reporters Moscow would find a way to counter it.
Meanwhile, North Korea on Friday rejected accusations by Japan and the U.S. that it transported munitions to Russia by rail.
Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun reported the previous day that the North transported artillery shells and other munitions via train linking the North's northeastern border city of Rason with Khasan in neighboring Russia.
The KCNA called the report "the most absurd red herring, which is not worth any comment or interpretation."
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