US accelerates delivery of 2 NASAMS to Ukraine: Defense official

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The Pentagon is trying to accelerate the delivery of two National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) to Ukraine, a US defense official told CNN on Monday.

According to Pentagon officials, Washington has already committed eight NASAMS to Kiev, including the two being accelerated.

The US first announced it would send two NASAMS to Ukraine on July 1 in a package of military aid and announced it would send six more systems on August 24, CNN mentioned.

The broadcaster cited the Pentagon as saying that the NASAMS are currently being manufactured by Raytheon in partnership with Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace, noting that the systems are already owned by 12 countries and are used by the US to protect Washington, DC.

CNN explained that once the systems are completed, they will be transported to Ukraine through a nearby country before being shipped overland into Kiev.

It is noteworthy that the US Defense Department said on Friday that Washington would donate more ammunition for HIMARS and additional artillery shells to Ukraine as part of a new $725 million military assistance package.

Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have undergone training: Reznikov

In the same context, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov confirmed that his country will soon receive the NASAMS, which are designed to destroy maneuvering targets at low and medium altitudes.

"Soon we are expecting the delivery of the first NASAMS air defence systems. Our soldiers have nearly mastered the [new] equipment," Reznikov said.

Sharing details about recent meetings with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group - also called the Ramstein format - NATO defense ministers, and international partners, Reznikov claimed that the countries of the Ramstein format and NATO will extend their support to Ukraine, pointing out that Kiev has already received huge aid from partners and continues to receive it.

He highlighted that thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have undergone training, while tens of thousands are preparing to be trained in partner countries.

The Minister expected that Ukraine's partners will soon "run out of arguments" not to provide Kiev with tanks and aircraft.

Reznikov revealed that following the Ramstein meeting, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley identified as a top priority the assistance in the creation of an integrated anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense system for Ukraine.

In addition, he announced that Spain has decided to provide Ukraine with modernized HAWK air defense systems, while the UK and the Netherlands have already announced their intention to provide Kiev with additional missiles for the air defense systems.

Reznikov also revealed that intensive discussion with France is underway regarding the Crotale air defense system and the Samp-T complexes.

Read more: Ukraine signs deal with France to supply weapons to Kiev

EU ministers approve $500Mln in new military aid, training for Ukraine

It is noteworthy that a new package of aid worth 500 million euros ($486 million) was agreed upon by the Council of the European Union on Monday to the Ukrainian military along with a Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM) to train Ukrainian soldiers.

This is the sixth package of assistance for Ukraine that will be sent under the EU's European Peace Facility, bringing the total to 3.1 billion euros since last February. Military equipment for defensive purposes, maintenance, and repair of vehicles will be included in the package, as well as fuel and personal protective equipment.

Moreover, the EU foreign ministers have agreed to start a mission with the aim of training Ukrainian soldiers and "enhancing the military capability of Ukraine’s Armed Forces to effectively conduct military operations."

In mid-August, the Ukraine Support Tracker of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy reported that since the start of the war, Ukraine received more than $82 billion in aid from Western countries.

Read more: Tensions mount between US, EU over low Ukraine funding