Pentagon deputy governor Kahl: USA considers the number of HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems received by Ukraine sufficient
The USA considers the number of HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) supplied to Ukraine to be sufficient. The statement was made by US Undersecretary of Defence for Policy Colin Kahl during a briefing on 8 August, which was broadcast by C-SPAN.
Kahl noted that Kiev received a total of 16 HIMARS from Washington. In addition, Ukraine has received three similar M270 launchers from the UK and is expecting to receive three more from Germany, he added.
“The Ukrainians are doing quite well with the number of systems, and the priority now is actually to ensure a sustainable supply,” Kahl shared.
On the same day, the Pentagon revealed that it would provide $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, which would include ammunition for HIMARS, NASAMS surface-to-air missile systems (SAMs), artillery shells and a thousand Javelin anti-tank missile systems, among others.
On 1 August, a representative of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry’s main intelligence directorate, Vadym Skibitskyy, said that Washington had directly coordinated each target for Kiev ahead of strikes from the US HIMARS multiple rocket launchers. As Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov noted, this demonstrates the direct involvement of the USA in the conflict in Ukraine.
Earlier, on 8 July, the Pentagon said that Washington was working on plans to supply new weapons to the Ukrainian side for months and years ahead.
On 25 April, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said that the US “wants to see Russia weakened to the point where it cannot do things like it has done”, referring to the events in Ukraine.
On 15 July, Russia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Dmitriy Polyanskiy, warned that Russia would not forget the West’s arms supplies to Ukraine. The diplomat stressed that civilians were being killed in Donbas because of the actions of Western countries.