US greenlights deployment of military contractors to fix weapons in Ukraine

NEWS WIRES

8 November 2024 at 3:24 pm·1-min read

[File photo] A Ukrainian soldier carries a US Stinger air-defense missile launcher in Ukraine on May 28, 2024.

Military contractors from the US will be sent to Ukraine in order to help maintain and repair Pentagon-provided weaponry, a US defense official said on Friday. The move is a significant policy shift in the final months of Joe Biden's administration that aims to aid Kyiv's fight against Russia.

The United States aims to send a "small number" of contractors to Ukraine to help maintain advanced weapons like the warplanes and air defense systems provided to Kyiv, a US defense official said Friday.

Washington has been a key military backer of Ukraine, committing more than $60 billion in security aid since February 2022, but had not permitted defense contractors to work in the country after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

"These contractors will be located far from the front lines and they will not be fighting Russian forces. They will help Ukrainian armed forces rapidly repair and maintain US-provided equipment as needed so it can be quickly returned to the front lines," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"We are taking this action because some of the equipment the US has provided Ukraine – or will provide Ukraine in the coming months – such as F-16s and Patriot air defense systems require specific technical expertise to maintain," the official said, adding that the decision had been made "after careful risk assessment."

(AFP)

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