America to send four more precision rocket systems to Ukraine, says US defence secretary
Himars in Ukraine's arsenal
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Amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the United States is set to provide four more precision rocket systems to Ukraine to help counter the Russian aggression.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday (July 20) that his Ukrainian counterpart requested for Washington to send more M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars).
The Ukrainian official had claimed that Kyiv's forces have used them to destroy some 30 Russian command stations and ammunition depots so far.
During an interaction with journalists at the Pentagon, Austin said: "Washington will send four more Himars advanced rocket systems for a total of 16. The Ukrainians have made excellent use of Himars, and you can see the impact on the battlefield."
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"Russia is keeping up its relentless shelling, and that's a cruel tactic that harkens back to the horrors of World War I. So Ukraine needs the firepower and the ammunition to withstand this barrage and to strike back," he said.
It is said that the US will also send additional GMLRS ammunition, which can precisely strike targets up to 80 kilometres away. So far, in its military aid to Ukraine, US President Joe Biden's administration has refused to send longer-range ammunition.
Long-range missiles would facilitate Ukraine to strike targets inside Russian territory and potentially expand the war into a direct clash with the West.
On being asked about longer-range ammunition on Wednesday, Austin said: "We think what they have and what they're working with is really giving them a lot of capability."
On Tuesday, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov urged for a major increase in the number of Himars. Reznikov claimed that at least 100 were needed for an effective counter-offensive against Moscow's troops.
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