In a significant move to support Ukraine’s military operations against Russia, the White House announced the allocation of an additional $125 million in weapons to Ukraine. This aid includes much-needed air defense capabilities, radars to detect and counter enemy artillery, and anti-tank weapons.

The latest weapon package comes as Ukraine has initiated its largest ground offensive on Russian soil since the conflict began in February 2022. The offensive in the Kursk region has prompted Moscow to declare an emergency and send reinforcements to the area.

National security spokesman John Kirby stated that the use of U.S.-provided weapons by Ukraine in the offensive aligns with administration policies. The Biden administration has approved the use of these weapons in cross-border counterstrikes against Russia but not for targets deeper inside Russia.

The latest aid package includes Stinger missiles, artillery ammunition, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) ammunition, and vehicles, all drawn from existing U.S. stocks. This brings the total U.S. aid to Ukraine since 2022 to $55.6 billion.

The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that July 2023 saw the heaviest civilian casualties in the country since October 2022, with conflict-related violence claiming the lives of at least 219 civilians and injuring 1,018.

In a tragic incident on Friday, a Russian missile strike on a shopping mall in Kostiantynivka, in the eastern Donetsk region, resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people and left 44 others wounded.