A Ukrainian commander shows the rockets on a HIMARS vehicle in Eastern Ukraine, July 1, 2022.

A Ukrainian commander shows the rockets on a HIMARS vehicle in Eastern Ukraine, July 1, 2022. Getty Images / Anastasia Vlasova for The Washington Post

U.S. Announces Another $550M In Ukraine Military Aid

Funds will cover thousands of additional howitzer and HIMARS ammunition rounds

The U.S. will send Ukraine thousands more 155mm howitzer shells and HIMARS rockets in a new package of military aid, the White House announced Monday. The $550 million package, which includes 75,000 155mm rounds, will bring the total amount of military aid the Biden administration has provided Ukraine to $8.8 billion. 

Ukrainian officials told CNN on Monday that the longer-range HIMARS have allowed them to hit Russian weapons storage sites in Kherson. The White House said the decision to provide additional HIMARS ammunition followed meetings between the Pentagon officials and their Ukrainian counterparts. 

A senior defense official on Friday told reporters the Ukrainians were able to gain ground against the Russians in Kherson and have used HIMARS to strike Russian surface-to-air missile sites. 

The $550 million announcement brings the total aid to Ukraine from the Biden administration to $8.8 billion, although some major systems that were previously announced, such as the NASAMS advanced anti-aircraft missile systems are still being procured and have not been delivered to Ukraine.