President Joe Biden’s administration will announce an additional $3 billion in aid to Ukraine on Wednesday alongside a shift toward supporting the nation’s war against Russia long-term, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will have lasted six months on Wednesday, the same day that Ukraine celebrates its Independence Day. The Wednesday announcement is expected to focus on equipping the Ukrainian military to fend off Russian aggression well into the future.
Past U.S. security donations for Ukraine have included weapons, equipment and medical supplies — things that meet the immediate need of combat against Russian forces. Wednesday’s package will reportedly focus on bolstering the country’s security infrastructure.
The announcement comes weeks after the Pentagon sent what was its largest-yet package to Ukraine, a $1 billion injection of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, among other things.
Both the U.S. and Ukraine have expressed worry that Russia will ramp up its attacks on civilian infrastructure and government buildings in the near future.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv called on any Americans still in Ukraine to leave immediately.
“If you hear a loud explosion or if sirens are activated, immediately seek cover,” the State Department wrote on Tuesday. “If in a home or a building, go to the lowest level of the structure with the fewest exterior walls, windows, and openings; close any doors and sit near an interior wall, away from any windows or openings.”
Russia is also more likely to ramp up its aggression following a Saturday car bombing in Moscow that killed the daughter of Alexander Dugin, a Russian philosopher and close political ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
