Ukraine receives second batch of US weapons in Russian stand-off

Airmen and civilians from the 436th Aerial Port Squadron palletize ammunition, weapons and other equipment bound for Ukraine during a foreign military sales mission at Dover Air Force Base, in Delaware, U.S. January 21, 2022. U.S. Air Force/Mauricio Campino/Handout via REUTERS

KYIV — Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Sunday the country had received a second consignment of weapons from the United States as part of defensive aid totaling $200 million.

Washington has said it would continue to support Ukraine amid concerns in Kyiv and among its Western allies over tens of thousands of Russian troops amassed on its border. Russia denies planning a military offensive.

“The second bird in Kyiv! More than 80 tons of weapons to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities from our friends in the USA! And this is not the end,” Reznikov wrote on Twitter.

About 90 tons of “lethal security assistance,” including ammunition, from the package approved by the U.S. in December arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Saturday.